


Age of Dragons

by liddie



Series: The Hobbit AU Series [3]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Blood, Boys Kissing, Bullying, Domestic Thilbo, Dragons, Fantasy, Fíli's a little shit, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Fíli, Slow Build, Teens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2017-12-26 02:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liddie/pseuds/liddie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During their thirteenth year, nearly everyone forms a bond with a dragon, intertwining their lives and linking their futures. Nearly, because as his sixteenth birthday draws closer, Kíli begins to lose hope of ever finding the dragon meant to share his destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Roots And Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired mostly by the movie 'How to Train Your Dragon' and all the pictures of dragons I could find online. I made a lot of stuff up, too.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their thirteenth year, nearly everyone forms a bond with a dragon, intertwining their lives and linking their futures. Nearly, because as his sixteenth birthday draws closer, Kíli begins to lose hope of ever finding the dragon meant to share his destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was inspired mostly by the movie 'How to Train Your Dragon' and all the pictures of dragons I could find online. I made a lot of stuff up, too.

* * *

 

Kíli winces as he heads out into the afternoon sun, raising a hand to block the harsh light from his eyes. He stumbles down the path, mumbling greetings to the other villagers and giving the dragons milling about a small smile. The people mostly ignore him, continuing on their way and ushering along the dragons that have stopped to sniff playfully at Kíli.

The brunet moves closer to the butcher shop as a large blue dragon squeezes by, almost flattening the boy up against the wall in its haste. Letting out a breath, Kíli tries to sneak by the forge. His uncle’s dragon, Orcrist, raises his head as he catches the brunet’s scent. Kíli stops in his tracks at the look the gray dragon gives him, sending pleading eyes towards the dragon in the blazing shop. Orcrist huffs and lays his head back down, Kíli’s smile widening as he darts towards Bofur’s woodshop.

Throwing the door open, Kíli smiles as two little dragons jumps off the counter and rush at him. The brunet grins, leaning down and scooping the small things up and into his arms. Bofur laughs from behind the counter, his cousin Bifur giving Kíli a nod of acknowledgment as he continues whittling. Bifur’s dark red thunder dragon is curled up around the whittler’s chair, dozing lightly despite the noise and shrieks of the baby dragons around him.

The dragons sniff at Kíli excitedly, causing the brunet to laugh as he pushes the door closed with his foot. Kíli pulls the pieces of dried meat from his pocket and gives one to each dragon, the little beasts chittering happily at the treat.

“You’re spoiling them,” Bofur comments with a smile as Kíli makes his way towards the counter, the small dragons climbing all over him. Bifur whistles sharply and the babies scamper to the floor and run to sit by the whittler’s feet.

“They deserve to be spoiled,” Kíli points out, leaning his arms on the counter and watching the small dragons curl up at Bifur’s feet. “Do they have names yet?” Kíli asks, running his finger along a groove in the counter. Bofur shakes his head and places his arm on Kíli’s shoulder.

“You’ll get your dragon, Kíli, it just takes time.”

“But I won’t, will I? I’m almost three years past the day I’m supposed to find my dragon.” Kíli sighs heavily, turning away from the dragons and looking up at Bofur.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Bifur grunts something in an old language Kíli never could understand, eyeing the boy with slight sadness. Bofur shakes his head at his cousin and turns to place both hands on Kíli’s shoulders.

“There is nothing wrong with you, lad, don't ever think that.” He says with a squeeze, Kíli nodding and stepping back from the hold.

“I’m off then. Orcrist saw me come this way and Uncle doesn't like me to bother you guys so much during the day,” Kíli says with a smile as he walks to the door, trying to keep his spirits up. He pulls the door open, Bofur’s dusty yellow lightening dragon pushing inside and sniffing at Kíli playfully before meandering up towards the counter.

“You know you’re welcome here anytime, Kíli. The little ones love you and it's a real help for you to watch over them.” Bofur calls as Kíli steps out, shutting the door behind him as he heads for the forest. He waves to Orcrist as he passes the forge, the large dragon huffing at him before turning back to the furnace he’s heating. 

As he nears the woods, he looks back, sighing as he takes in the bustling village. Mostly everyone here has a companion, the dragons usually finding their partners when the children turn thirteen. A bond forms upon seeing the dragon for the first time, instantly connecting the two for life. His uncle had gotten Orcrist on his thirteenth birthday and the two have been inseparable ever since. The large gray dragon was one of the fire species, so helping around Thorin’s forge is like second nature to him.

Bofur’s friend, Nori, has an ice dragon named Cleaver, who can freeze a man with a single breath if he wanted to. There was also the thunder dragons, earth and water dragons, and dragons made purely for the air. Almost all dragons can fly, though some are better at it than others. Kíli knows almost everything there is about dragons, his small bookshelf at home stuffed with books about them.

His favorite book to lug around is the encyclopedia of dragons Bilbo had gotten him for his tenth birthday. It has all the different types and species of dragons listed, with facts and pictures inked into the thick pages. There is even a chapter on the Royale dragons, though there are only a few sketches of what the author _thinks_ they might look like. No one in Kíli’s village has ever seen a Royale dragon before, though Kíli’s made it his mission to someday change that.

Kicking a branch out of his way, Kíli slips deeper into the woods and away from civilization. He is almost sixteen years old and has yet to find his dragon. He thinks about it a lot, tries to imagine what his dragon would be like. He has tons of ideas drawn in one of the blank books back home, though they don’t really look like your typical dragons. 

Some of the other kids in the village laugh at him a lot, calling him a reject and telling him that no dragon would want someone so scrawny and weak as their rider. Kíli mostly ignores them, though their words often cut through his façade like a sharp knife. His uncle Thorin had told him to be patient, that sometimes it takes a bit longer to find the right dragon. Kíli was tired of waiting; tired of being the only one besides the younger children who didn't have a dragon.

Plopping down on an outcrop of rocks facing the valley, Kíli lies on his stomach and tries to imagine his dragon soaring over the valley. They would be a perfect match, the two of them easily swooping down and crawling up into the vast sky. Not everyone rides their dragons, but Kíli is positive that he and his dragon would probably spend a lot of their time in the sky.

“Are you alright, Kíli?” Thorin’s deep voice startles the boy, Kíli rolling onto his back and sitting up to face his uncle. He sees Orcrist among the trees behind his uncle and mouths ‘traitor’ at the dragon with a frown.  “You seem a bit off today.” Thorin comes to sit on the flat rock, raising a brow at Kíli.

“I’m fine, Uncle. Just tired, I guess.” Kíli lies, Orcrist snorting and getting himself a glare from the young brunet. Thorin chuckles at the two, waving the dragon off to go hunt. He turns back to Kíli and is surprised to see tears welling up in the boy’s brown eyes.

“Is it me, Uncle? Was I born wrong, or did I do something?” Kíli asks as he rubs at his eyes, refusing to let the tears fall. Thorin sighs and motions the boy to sit next to him, throwing his arm around Kíli’s thin shoulders.

“You were a blessing upon our family, Kíli. Your mother was told she could never have a child and yet here you sit.”

“But I killed her,” Kíli says in a small voice, refusing to look at his uncle as he scuffed his boots in the dirt. Thorin winces at the words, pulling Kíli into his side with a sigh.

“You didn’t kill her, Kíli. She was so happy to have you come into this world, there was nothing greater she could have ever imagined.” Thorin says in a strong voice, chasing away some of the small brunet’s fears with his strong voice. “She would be so proud of you now, with or without a dragon.”

“I guess,” Kíli says with a shrug. He had never known his mother, who had died while giving birth to him. He hadn’t known his father, either. He had been killed in an attack a few months before Kíli was born. His uncle and their neighbor Bilbo had raised the boy, the curly haired man taking it upon himself to help Thorin when he figured out early on that the large brunet had no idea what he was doing. Bilbo had all but moved them into his spacious house, leaving Thorin’s small cottage used mostly for storage.

“Do you think Uncle Bilbo is making roast for dinner?” Kíli asks changing the subject swiftly. Thorin looks down at the boy and shakes his head slightly at the blatant tactic.

“Possibly. He was headed into the market to get vegetables when I passed him earlier, Sting already loaded up with enough food to feed an army.”

Kíli giggles at the image of Bilbo’s rust colored earth dragon saddled up with bags and bags of food, trying to snatch something for himself. He stands from the rock, followed closely by Thorin as they silently make their way through the forest and back into town. When they cross the path to the forge, Kíli spots Bilbo and Sting headed towards their cottage.

“Uncle Bilbo!” Kíli shouts, jogging ahead and inspecting the bags tied to the dragon. He scratches behind Sting’s ear and gets a happy rumble in response.

“Kíli, there you are! I was looking all over for you earlier. Thought you’d be at Bofur’s shop.”

“I was there earlier,” Kíli confesses, ignoring the feeling of his uncle’s eyes on his back. “I didn't stay long, though.”

“Ah, well, that’s all right and fine but could you do me a huge favor?” Bilbo asks distractedly as he begins counting the bags and doing some kind of math in his head. “I’ve forgotten to pick up the meat order. So, if you could do that, it’d help me out tremendously.”

Kíli hides his grimace from the short man, nodding and agreeing before waving both Bilbo and his uncle off as they start home, Thorin throwing a bag of flour over his shoulder. As the boy scampers off towards the butcher, Thorin turns to Bilbo with a frown.

“You know he doesn't like those butcher’s boys, so why send him there?”

“Kíli’s never going to face them unless he’s pushed to! He needs to stand up for himself and be proud of who he is.” Bilbo rants, remembering how the small brunet had come home last week covered in dirt and bruises. It had taken a few hours and three cups of Bilbo’s special hot chocolate before Kíli had confessed to getting into a fight with the butcher’s sons over why he didn't have a dragon.

“You are ruthless,” Thorin murmurs, reaching over to grab Bilbo’s hand in is own as they walk down the path. Orcrist appears alongside Sting, snorting at the sight of the dragon turned mule.

“Oi, enough of that or you’re next!” Bilbo scolds, Thorin throwing his head back and laughing at the look his dragon gives him.

 

* * *

 

Kíli drags his feet the whole way back to the butcher shop, trying unsuccessfully to prolong the inevitable. When he reaches the door, he says a silent prayer to the gods, pleading with them to take pity and have the butcher’s sons not be in the shop. Pushing the door open slowly, Kíli looks inside, a sinking feeling that the gods must be busy helping someone else settling in his stomach.

“Well, look who it is. The dragonless freak,” the older, Derno, says to his brother with a grin. The younger boy, Drigo, gives Kíli a nasty smile as he walks up to the counter slowly. “Where’s your dragon, little orphan?”

“I need to pick up an order,” Kíli says quietly and is ignored completely.

“I heard that when a baby is orphaned, the gods reject it. That means it's a fact you’ll never have a dragon,” Derno sneers as he jumps off his stool and advances on Kíli. The small brunet stands his ground, looking up defiantly when Derno approaches him.

“It’s a good thing I’m not an orphan, then, since I have not one, but two uncles.” Kíli shoots back, grinning to himself at they boys’ shocked expressions. His grin soon falls when Drigo jumps off his stool and comes to stand next to his brother.

Before anything can happen, Derno and Drigo’s mother comes out from the back, giving Kíli a smile as she leans across the counter. “Hello, Kíli! Are you here to pick up Mr. Baggins’ order?” Kíli nods to her with a forced smile, the woman heading into the back to get the order. When she walks out, Derno pushes Kíli roughly into the counter, causing the brunet to smack his head on the edge of the wood. 

“Hey!” Kíli shouts as he reaches up to feel where he hit his head, eyes widening when he pulls his hand back and sees blood. Drigo’s eyes widen and he takes off into the back, leaving Kíli and Derno alone in the shop.

“You’re a freak! You’ll never get a dragon because you’re too small and the gods hate you! That’s why they took your mother and father away!” Derno sneers before disappearing into the back after his brother. Kíli stands there with tears welling up, not noticing the boys’ mother coming back with the bag of wrapped meats.

“Kíli, are you okay?” She asks in a worried voice, Kíli nodding quickly before snagging the bag and muttering a quick ‘thank you’ as he darts out the door before his tears can fall.

He runs down the path, bumping into a few people and almost dropping the bag he’s carrying. Tears run down his cheeks and he brings an arm up to wipe at his eyes. As he draws closer to the road leading home, Kíli stops and tries to scrub his face free of tears. Taking a deep breath, he lets it out slowly like Bilbo taught him before heading down the lane.

He sneaks into the kitchen through the back door, letting out a relieved sigh when he sees Bilbo leaning over a cookbook deep in thought. Kíli heads over to the counter quietly, placing the bag down and creeping towards the stairs only to jump at the sound of Bilbo’s voice.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The curly haired man asks, keeping his eyes focused on the cookbook. Kíli hangs his head, a fresh wave of tears threatening to overtake him. “Did you get the—Kíli what’s wrong?”

Bilbo rushes to his side at the sight of his tearstained face. The brunet shakes his head and steps back, halting Bilbo a few feet away.

“Can I just go to my room please, Uncle Bilbo?” Kíli asks meekly, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.  Bilbo’s heart aches at the sight, but he sighs with a nod.

“Sure, Kíli. I’ll call you for supper,” Bilbo says softly, watching sadly as the boy takes off upstairs. Trying not to worry about Kíli, Bilbo sets about making the roast. He knows the young brunet will tell him what happened eventually, he just has to be patient. Fortunately, Bilbo has all the patience in the world, something that Thorin lacks terribly.

  

* * *

 

“Kíli? Supper is ready.” Bilbo says as he cracks the brunet’s door open, peeking inside and finding the brunet curled up on the bed with Sting. Orcrist sits on the floor next to the bed, listening to whatever story Kíli is reading from the book he’s holding. All three occupants of the room look to him when he enters and Bilbo waves the dragons out of the room to get their own supper.

Kíli shuts the book he was reading and shoves it under his pillow, looking to Bilbo with tired eyes. The curly haired man sighs at the sight, coming over to sit on the end of the bed.  Kíli brings his legs up in front of him and wraps his arms around them, leaning back against the wall and waiting for Bilbo to start talking.

“Did you know that I was fifteen when I found Sting?,” Bilbo asks, chuckling when Kíli’s eyes widen and he scrambles forward on the bed to get closer to the older man.

“You never told me that before!”

“It’s true! I was walking in the gardens at my aunt’s house, trying to escape all of my crazy family when he stumbled onto the path with half the garden’s vegetables in his mouth. I chased him all around the garden and we ended up curled up under a tree enjoying those vegetables and taking a well deserved nap.” Bilbo laughs at the memory, patting his stomach and getting a laugh from Kíli. The small brunet leaned into Bilbo’s side and rests his head on the available shoulder as Bilbo brings a hand up to card through Kíli’s unruly hair.

“Oh! Did I tell you the news I heard at the market?” Bilbo says suddenly, Kíli jerking his head up and shaking it no. “I got a letter from my good friend Hamfast, saying that the Royale dragons are on the move. They’ve been spotted flying above villages and making their way across the country!”

“Really, Uncle Bilbo?” Kíli’s eyes widen at the news as he scrambles behind Bilbo to grab the book he was reading earlier. He flips it to the chapter on the Royale dragons and hugs it to his chest tightly. Bilbo watches him with a smile, reaching out to ruffle his unruly hair.

“Do you think they’ll come here? Our village is pretty small, but there’s lots of room for the dragons to stay!”

“I don't know for sure, but at the very least, we should be able to see them fly over, don’t you think?”

“Yes! Did you know that every generation of Royale dragon has one dragon that’s the color of a precious metal?” Kíli asks, reciting facts from his book eagerly as his eyes skim the pages once more. Bilbo laughs as he stands from the bed, pulling Kíli’s arm and guiding the boy out of the room with a hand on his shoulder as he continues to read from the book.

“Come along now, we don't want your Uncle Thorin to try plating dinner up himself now, do we?” Kíli looks up at that, wrinkling his nose at the thought of Thorin doing anything in the kitchen.

“That’s what I thought,” Bilbo says with a sharp nod as he directs them towards the kitchen, ushering Kíli into a seat at the table and bustling about the kitchen. The brunet flips through the book as he waits, Orcrist coming up behind the him and snorting warm air into Kíli’s hair. The brunet laughs softly, reaching back to scratch under the dragon’s chin and getting a happy noise in response. Not to be left out, Sting budges up next to the gray dragon and shoves his head under Kíli’s hand, knocking Orcrist out of the way.

Kíli laughs at their antics, catching Bilbo’s attention as the curly haired man huffs and shoos both dragons out of the room as he places the roast onto the table. Thorin comes in the back door and sniffs, walking over to snitch a piece of the meat only to have Bilbo slap his hand sharply.

“Hold it! Not until you’ve washed up!” Thorin tries again and gets another slap, Kíli laughing into his hands at the glare Bilbo is giving the older. With a sigh the older brunet trudges into the kitchen, Bilbo and Kíli both listening to him complain loudly to the two banished dragons.

Following Thorin into the kitchen with a small chuckle Bilbo gets the vegetables and bread, bringing them back to the table and settling in. Thorin sits at the head of the table and carves the meat, passing a slab of it onto Kíli’s plate as the boy fidgets restlessly. Kíli ignores the strange look from his uncle, spooning a few small vegetables onto his plate and getting a pointed look from Bilbo. With a sigh he reluctantly adds more. When Bilbo gave him a nod he passes them to his uncle.

“Uncle Bilbo said the Royale dragons are moving!” Kíli blurts out around his vegetables, Thorin raising his eyebrows at his nephew before turning to look at Bilbo.

“Did he? Are they coming here?”

“Hamfast sent the letter about a week ago with word that they were headed our way.” Bilbo says simply, cutting his roast into manageable pieces and popping one into his mouth. He hums happily and starts on his potatoes, uncharacteristically ignoring the way Kíli is shoveling food into his mouth.

“Do you think they’ll be here tonight? Can I camp out—”

“Kíli! If you choke on that food you’re inhaling you’ll never get to see them!” Bilbo scolds with a frown, Kíli wincing at the tone and chewing the huge mouthful he had shoveled in. Thorin shakes his head at his nephew, trying to hold back a chuckle of his own.

“They won’t be here for at least a few days, so there’s no need to get into a frenzy. We don't even know if they’re headed this way, so don't get your hopes up just yet.” Bilbo points out, Kíli’s shoulders slumping as he pushes the few pieces of meat on his plate around absently. 

Thorin and Bilbo share a glare across the table, the elder brunet shaking his head and stabbing a piece of meat harshly before bringing it to his mouth with a scowl. Bilbo completely ignores the harsh gesture, cutting his potatoes and green beans carefully while he asks Kíli about the baby dragons at Bofur’s.

“They’re getting so big!” Kíli says with a smile, popping a piece of potato into his mouth happily at the thought of the small dragons. “They climb all over me when I come in and Bofur says I’m a big help when I come over and watch them.”

“That’s good, it’s wonderful to hear that they’re doing well.” Bilbo comments, Kíli tuning both his uncles out as they began talking about the forge and the work that’s been commissioned. Kíli’s thoughts stray to the Royale dragons and he knows he’ll be thinking of little else until they arrive.

 

* * *

 

“LET ME GO!” Kíli shouts from where he is tied to a tree, the cruel laughter of Derno and Drigo echoing through the forest as he struggles against the ropes. Angry tears fill Kíli’s eyes as he tries unsuccessfully to break free, the thick ropes holding him tightly to the large oak.

Today is the day the Royale dragons are supposed to arrive, and everyone in town is eagerly awaiting their arrival. Word from a few towns over was that there were about three or four of the Royale dragons out roaming, one being the princess herself. They were most likely to visit Kíli’s small village and stay closer to the capital, which was only a few miles away.

Kíli had gotten up early to prepare, dressing in a tunic _without_ holes and happily getting his chores done early. Thorin had already left for the forge and Kíli had even helped Bilbo make some lemon scones before heading out to his favorite rock to wait. He’d been so excited on his way through town that he failed to notice Drigo and Derno following him until it was too late.

The butcher’s sons had jumped him, tackling Kíli to the ground before tying him to the trunk of a large oak tree in the middle of the forest. The stream that ran along the village was also close by, the noise of the rushing water drowning out most of his shouts.

“You can’t do this! You can’t!” Kíli cries, tears running down his face and dripping onto his dirt stained clothes. Derno steps in front of Kíli and kicks him in the stomach, the brunet wheezing as he leans over as much as the ropes will allow.

“We _can_ do this, you dragonless freak! You don't have a dragon, so you shouldn't even be allowed to see the Royale dragons!” Drigo spits at Kíli from next to his brother, the two of them grinning widely at the brunet’s distress before turning and disappearing into the forest towards the village.

“Don’t leave me here, please don’t do this!” Kíli cries, shaking his head and straining at the ropes once more. They had tied his hands together before they pressed him to the tree, and Kíli can feel the coarse rope digging into his skin. With a groan, the brunet tugs one last time before going limp, his sobs getting lost in the noises of the forest.

“Come back,” Kíli whispers through the tears, hanging his head and rubbing his wrists together to try and get them free. He winces when he feels his skin break, biting his lip against the pain. After a few more moments, he stops all movement and leans back against the tree. Trying to blink the tears from his eyes, Kíli looks up, straining to see or hear anything going by overhead.

The only sound he can hear is the river, the rushing water doing nothing to soothe the pain Kíli feels all over. He sags against the tree and sits there silently, trying to think of a way to get free. A noise in the bushes to his left makes the brunet shoot his head up with a hopeful look, though it crumples quickly when he sees a lanky gray wolf lope into the clearing.

Kíli freezes at the sight of the mangy wolf, sitting up straighter and watching with fearful eyes as it circles the clearing. Sniffing the air, the wolf catches the scent of Kíli’s blood, curling its lip in a snarl as it focuses on the brunet.

Taking a few steps towards the brunet, the wolf stops suddenly when a growling shriek comes from overhead. Both Kíli and the wolf look skyward to see a dark shadow pass above the trees, the wolf snarling at the shape and advancing towards the boy.

Another growl fills the forest, and Kíli can feel the ground shake as whatever is making the noise grows closer. The wolf growls one last time at Kíli before taking off into the trees in the opposite direction. Hearing branches snapping close by, Kíli shuts his eyes tightly against his tears and waits for the worst.

After a few moments of waiting, the only thing the brunet teen can hear is the endless babbling of the river and a breeze shifting the leaves. Kíli keeps his eyes firmly shut, starting with a yelp and slamming his head back against the tree with a groan when he feels warm breath on his face.

Letting out a whimper, Kíli waits for whatever has joined him to finish him off, only to snap his eyes open at the feel of soft skin against his own. His eyes try and focus on the blond hair in front of him, and as the head shifts back, Kíli’s eyes lock with a large pair of cerulean orbs focused on his own.

Kíli’s mouth drops open at the sight of the naked blond teen in front of him, his tanned skin a golden color that’s a few shades darker than his hair. Before Kíli can notice anything else the teen leans forward again, resting his hands on the thick ropes. He nuzzles his nose into the brunet’s cheek, following a path down his neck and causing Kíli to chuckle. With a grin the blond blows warm air onto Kíli’s neck, the dark haired human laughing quietly and pulling weakly at his bonds.

He freezes with a wince, the blond pulling back sharply and looking Kíli over with a frown. He shifts back onto his heels and follows his nose to where Kíli’s hands are bound behind his back, gnashing his teeth at the scent of blood.

Kíli watches all of this with wide eyes, his heart clenching tightly for some reason as he takes the blond teen in. “Hi,” Kíli whispers belatedly, the blond offering him a quick glance before raising a hand and snapping through the ropes holding the brunet to the tree with too-sharp nails. Kíli doubles over with a huff, the blond scampering to sit at his side as he examines the brunet’s bound wrists.

Craning his head back to watch the strange blond, Kíli’s eyes widen when the blond carefully snaps the coarse threads with ease, gently pulling the blood stained rope away and sitting back to admire his work.

“Thanks,” Kíli grunts, the blond’s eyes widening as he scrambles into the brunet’s lap and helps him sit up. Kíli lifts his hand to wipe at his face, only to have the blond snatch the limb and bring it up to his mouth.

Kíli’s breathing hitches when the blond licks at the wound, cleaning the blood away carefully and then repeating the actions with the other hand. The brunet just sits in stunned silence, a few tears leaking from the corner of his eyes and down his face when the blond licks a little too roughly. Whenever Kíli winces or hisses, the blond lets out a pained whine and coos softly to ease the brunet’s discomfort.

When the blood is gone, the stranger nods at his work before crawling forward into Kíli’s lap. His fingers come up to trace Kíli’s face, ever mindful of his sharp nails. The brunet stares with wide eyes, taking in the fascinated look the blond wears, along with his eerily blue eyes that are more catlike than Kíli has ever seen. 

“Hi…w-why are you naked?” Kíli stutters, leaning back from the blond’s questing fingers and getting a huff and playful growl in response.

“Hi!” The blond parrots back with a cheeky grin, squishing Kíli’s face between his hands so the brunet’s lips are pursed. Cackling wildly the blond teen tumbles backwards and off of Kíli’s lap, flipping to settle on his knees next to the brunet.

“W-who are you?” Kíli asks in awe as the blond begins running his fingers along the brunet’s outer tunic, poking the buttons and crooning inquisitively.  

“Fíli!” The blond pipes up, right before be tries to bite one of the buttons, Kíli pushing him back with one hand as he laughs.

“Fíli? Is that your name?” Kíli wonders out loud, watching as the blond circles him with appraising eyes. He gets a distracted nod as an answer, the blond tugging his sleeve slightly and running his hands along the soft fabric.

“My name is Kíli,” Kíli offers, shrugging out of the tunic and pulling it over his head to hand it to the confused blond. With a chuckle, he helps Fíli into it, happy to notice it covers almost all of Fíli’s nakedness. Fíli holds his arms out and spins, collapsing to the ground in a fit of laughter with Kíli not far behind.

Fíli sits up suddenly, his head cocked to the side as he listens intently. Kíli can’t hear anything but the river, a pang of sadness shooting through him when he realizes how much time must have passed since he first headed out into the woods.

Fíli pulls him out of his thoughts with a tug on his hand, the blond stumbling on unsteady legs and leading Kíli back towards the village. Kíli winces at the pull on his arm, Fíli stopping abruptly to kiss the marks on the brunet’s wrists in apology.

“Sorry, Kíli.” With an apologetic smile, Fíli darts forward to peck a kiss onto Kíli’s lips, quickly moving behind the brunet and pushing him in the back slightly to steer him towards the small town. Kíli laughs belatedly at the movements, his own hands darting back to steady the blond when he trips too far to one side.

They both startle at the loud roar that comes from the village, sharing a look before taking off at a sprint through the trees. Kíli can’t believe that the Royale dragons are still there, it must be his lucky day!

Bursting through the tree line, Kíli looks around wildly for Fíli, frowning when the blond is nowhere to be seen. Shaking his head sadly, he trudges to the town center, keeping an eye out for Derno and Drigo as he makes his way through the crowd to a less populated area.

With wide eyes, Kíli takes in the deep blue dragon standing in the center of town, its large wings folded neatly along its back as it studies the town. From the regal bearing to the deep sapphire coloring, somehow, Kíli knows this has to be the princess. There are a few other dragons standing around the town, no doubt the princess’ guards. The brunet tries to remember every detail so he can draw her in his book, not noticing someone creeping up behind him.

The sapphire dragon, Dís, he heard the name murmured in the crowd, began walking around the small village, sniffing every so often and watching the townspeople curiously. She stops suddenly, turning her head skyward and giving a sharp whistle, though Kíli isn’t sure why. As she lumbers past gracefully, Kíli could swear she looked right at him, though reality tells him she’d never be able to see him crouched down at the far end of the crowd like he was.

All of a sudden, a flurry of movement comes from the trees across town, both the villagers and the dragons turning towards it. Kíli can’t take his eyes off Dís, his brow quirking when he thinks he sees her give a large sigh. Excited murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire, but before Kíli can tune in, he’s pushed roughly from behind.

Sprawling into the dirt, Kíli lets out a pained noise, rising up onto his knees and seeing Derno above him. “How’d you get free, freak?” The older boy growls, taking advantage of the villagers focus elsewhere to plant his foot on Kíli’s chest with a hard shove. With a shout, Kíli goes down, trying to brace his fall and crying out when he lands on his bruised wrists.

Kíli lies on his back, staring up at the blue sky with watery eyes as he tries to ignore Derno. He rocks back up to sit, not noticing Dís’ attention is now focusing on them as he struggles to his feet.

“Leave me alone!” Kíli shouts hoarsely, feeling the ground shake as something big heads their way. Derno pushes Kíli out into the street, the brunet tumbling onto his bottom with a cry and raising his hands up protectively just as a large form appears over him. 

With a loud roar, a golden dragon is standing over Kíli, blazing eyes on the bully and snapping his teeth threateningly as it crowds around Kíli protectively. Derno freezes, looking up into fierce blue eyes before scrambling back and away from the dragon with a sharp cry. 

Kíli shudders against the warm golden scales pressing against him, his eyes shut firmly as he waits for it all to be over. The crowd is in an uproar now and Kíli could hear Derno’s shouts and the bellowing voice of the butcher scolding him. Kíli can faintly hear his own name being called, though he can’t really see what’s going on around him.

Peeking out from around his arms, Kíli sees a wall of gold, unfolding slightly and huffing when a snout presses into his stomach. With wide eyes, Kíli falls back, taking in the golden dragon that is wrapped around him and glancing around it to see Dís watching them with a knowing grin. 

The smaller dragon buried into his stomach pulls back, cocking its head to the side and looking at Kíli worriedly before darting its tongue out to lick a stripe up his neck and face.

“Blegh, yuck!” Kíli sputters, bringing his arm up to wipe his face before looking into the smaller dragon’s eyes. Familiar cerulean orbs watch him with excitement, the dragon wiggling and uncurling from around the brunet to turn to the sapphire adult and chirp quickly. Dís snorts at the younger, nodding her head and filling the golden dragon with more energy.

As Kíli gets to his feet and tries to back up, the smaller dragon turns sharply and gets behind the brunet, pushing him in the back with his head towards Dís. “Woah, what are you doing? I can’t—”

The dragon growls playfully, cutting Kíli off as he continues to push the brunet towards his mother. The teen tries to dig his feet into the dirt, but his strength is no match for the young dragon’s. When Kíli is standing within touching distance of the Royale dragon, the golden youngster chirps happily, settling down next to Dís and curling around a confused Kíli.

“What’s going on?” Kíli whispers to himself, trying to ignore the stares from the villagers when Dís leans down to blow warm air into his hair playfully, tousling the unruly mane with affection. The gold dragon croons softly, bringing his tail around to pull Kíli closer. Tripping over the dragon’s legs, Kíli plops down on his bottom, leaning heavily against the young dragon’s warm stomach. Nipping softly at Kill’s messy hair, the dragon pulls back to look Kíli in the eyes.

The dragon’s vertical pupils watch him with interest and when he tilts his head to the side, something clicks in Kíli’s brain, his eyes widening comically.

“Fíli?” He whispers, the golden dragon wiggling happily and licking Kíli’s face again. The stunned brunet lets out a shout, bringing his hands up to wipe the slobber off his face and shooting the dragon a glare.

Dís makes a chuckling noise above them, causing both teens to look up with matching grins. Leaning down, she licks at Fíli’s head, the smaller dragon making a hissing noise as he tries to avoid her without crushing Kíli at the same time. 

“Ha! How do you like it?” Kíli laughs, scratching the large sapphire dragon under the chin when she leans down. Cooing happily, Dís sits back up, moving back away from the two and spreading her wings out as she barks to the guards. Kíli notices some of the villagers turning from the scene, wondering at their actions and yelping when Fíli brings his own wing up to cover the brunet.

“Fíli, what are you—”

A huge gust of wind almost knocks Kíli over, though he manages to grab Fíli’s wing just before he tips to the side. The blond removes the appendage when Dís and the others are in the air, the two of them watching her circle before she and the rest of the company head south. When they disappear from sight, Kíli turns to the crowd, noticing his Uncle Thorin and Bilbo heading towards them, followed closely by Orcrist and Sting.

“Kíli?” Bilbo hesitates, stepping closer to the pair. Fíli’s sharp eyes track his every movement, tilting his head to the side and eyeing the short man from head to toe. His eyes shift to Orcrist and Sting excitedly, chittering a string of strange sounds that the two answer immediately. Kíli rubs Fíli’s golden scales and turns to his uncles with a sheepish smile.

“Can I keep him?”

 

* * *

 


	2. The Tales That Really Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few months since Kíli found his dragon, and things are definitely starting to look up. Between teaching Fíli how to be human, dodging bullies, and making sure Bilbo doesn't catch them flying without a saddle, Kíli's positive his days have gotten a lot more interesting...and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU EVERYONE for the completely overwhelming positive response to this story~ I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter, thank you for waiting so patiently! XD

* * *

 

Assimilating Fíli to life among humans hasn’t been hard, _per se_ , but some days Kíli has more trouble than others. The golden dragon is endlessly curious about human things, how they work or why they’re done, and Kíli enjoys explaining them to the dragon. They spend hours in the forest and market, along the stream and sitting on the outcrop that has become their favorite spot.

Fíli sometimes takes his lessons in human from, when he wants to try something for himself or if he needs to actually speak with Kíli. The brunet is amazed to learn that Fíli can materialize clothing when he shifts, though the blond is often too lazy to do so. Fíli doesn’t care much for his English lessons, though with the right encouragements and treats, Kíli can often get him to practice for at least thirty minutes.

The golden dragon prefers to speak with gestures and affections; growling, hissing, and purring being the most frequently used. He also loves to nuzzle Kíli, into his neck or stomach, biting his hair playfully or tugging at his clothes. Kíli understands almost everything the Royale dragon tells him, and if Fíli becomes too frustrated or upset during a lesson, Kíli quickly changes their pace or thinks of something else to do.

Like flying.

Flying is one of the things both Fíli and Kíli like to do best. Because they're so close in age, Fíli’s the perfect size for Kíli to fit right on his back by his wings. They never fly too close to the market or village, because if Bilbo ever found out they were flying without a saddle, they’d both be grounded for weeks.

Kíli was hesitant at first, to clamber onto the dragon’s back and take flight with no experience. His hesitancy bled into nervous excitement when Fíli nuzzled into his stomach and cooed excitedly, Kíli knowing without a doubt that somehow they’d be all right. Their first few takeoffs had been shaky, but now they can become airborne from a complete standstill.

Their first flight had been practically on accident. They’d been running through a field a few miles from the village, Fíli stretching his wings out and catching a draft, lifting them up into the air a few feet. Kíli had gasped when he realized what was happening, Fíli almost tucking his wings in until he heard the completely uninhibited laughter coming from the brunet on his back.

Taking the laughter as a good sign, the golden dragon tilted his wings, sending them up higher to be level with the top of the tree line. “Fíli, this is amazing!” Kíli had shouted, squeezing his legs tighter to the dragon and throwing his arms out to the side. They had continued to glide across the clearing, Fíli picking up a draft and soaring up above the trees in a gradual climb.

Their landing hadn’t been all that good, Fíli accidentally dumping the brunet into a small pond when he realized the weight on his back was throwing something off balance. Kíli had surfaced with a laugh, and the two had decided right then and there that they needed to practice their landings more often.

The lanky brunet has taken to avoiding the butcher’s sons as much as he can, though sometimes they manage to catch him on his way home from town when Fíli’s away at the capital visiting his mother. They never dare approach Kíli when he’s with Fíli, and for that Kíli is grateful. He hopes they’ll grow out of their need to torment him, but the way things are going now, he isn’t so sure his wish will come true any time soon.

 

* * *

 

Kíli dashes through the trees, his breaths coming in heavy pants as he tries to ignore the shouts coming from behind. He skids to a stop, kicking up leaves and twigs before he’s pressing his back against a large tree trunk and closing his eyes for a few seconds. He waits, listening to the quiet forest for any signs of the ones chasing after him.

The brunet doubles over, resting his hands on dirty knees as he tries to catch his breath. A sudden shout comes from somewhere at his left, Kíli taking off through the trees once more. Bringing two fingers up to his mouth, the teen blows a sharp whistle as he tries his best not to trip over any roots or fallen branches. He can hear the others closing in, eyes widening in relief when he spots the familiar outcrop of rocks looking over the vast valley below.

Racing towards the flat rock overlooking the valley, Kíli spins around to face the two boys that crash into clearing behind him.

“You’re in for it now, freak! No dragon to protect you all the way out here!”

“Yeah, we saw it getting fitted for a saddle before we came out, and everyone knows how long _that_ takes.”

Kíli winces at the words, shifting back a few steps as they two brothers approach. He glances over his shoulder and sees the few feet of rock behind him, turning back to the bullies with a determined look.

“Just leave me alone, I haven’t done anything to you!” Kíli yells, the elder, Derno, pulling out a thick rope from the pack upon his back.

“How about we tie you up and toss you off that cliff to hang a while, that’ll be leaving you alone.” The butchers’ son sneers, advancing towards the brunet and swinging the rope in his hand. Kíli takes a deep breath, giving one last look at the approaching boys before spinning on his heel and sprinting towards the edge of the rock.

Without faltering, Kíli dashes off the edge of the cliff and spreads his arms wide. His stomach flips when he begins to fall, and Kíli hopes to the gods that his plan works. Keeping his arms and legs straight to prevent tumbling in the air, Kíli gives a victorious shout of relief when a flash of gold overtakes his fall, Fíli's wings snapping open as he maneuvers under the brunet.

Reaching down hands first, Kíli grunts when he lands on the golden dragon’s back, his arms wrapping around Fíli’s neck as they level out their fall and soar back upwards. Kíli keeps low to Fíli’s back, the two of them shooting towards where Derno and Drigo are leaning over the rock face, faces frozen in petrified shock.

Fíli beats his wings when they’re level with the bullies, the gust of wind toppling them back across the rock as they continue to soar up through the sky, above trees, clouds, and bullies.

“Did you see their faces? That was amazing, Fee!” Kíli shouts, knees squeezing Fíli’s sides as the golden dragon levels out and banks left lazily. He croons happily, looking back to Kíli with a grin before changing course and flying back towards the village. As they approach the grassy fields just outside the market, Kíli eyes the ground warily.

“You know, Uncle Bilbo can’t ever find out about this—”

Kíli interrupts himself with a shout as Fíli goes to land, the additional weight of the brunet human on Fíli’s back throwing the golden dragon off, sending both human and dragon tumbling through the tall grass. Tucking his arms and legs into his chest, Kíli prays to the gods Fíli doesn't crush him on accident.

They continue to tumble over each other a few times, flashes of golden scales melting into tanned skin before everything comes to an abrupt halt. Kíli lies completely still for a few moments, leaning up and cracking his eyes open while trying to feel for all his limbs and make sure he’s still in one piece. Somehow, he’s ended up sprawled across Fíli’s chest, the dragon-turned-human grinning up at him and bringing his arms up to wrap around Kíli’s back.

“Good idea, Fee.”

The brunet begins to laugh, partly because of Fíli’s stupid grin, but mostly because of the fact that they’ve actually survived another one of Fíli’s landings. Letting out a huff, the brunet plops back down onto Fíli’s chest and takes a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart.

“That was a close one,” Kíli muses, talking about both the landing and the run-in with Drigo and Derno. He lifts himself up, rolling to the side to lie on his back next to the blond. “We really need to work on landings.”

“Mhmmm,” Fíli mumbles, turning onto his side and curling up into a ball next to Kíli. The brunet laughs, sitting up and ignoring the whines coming from Fíli as he leans away from the blond.

“Alright, we have to go find Bilbo and keep him away from the butcher shop, or we’ll both be in deep trouble.” Kíli points out, shifting up onto his knees and standing. He turns and looks over the patch of tall grasses, reaching his arms up and rolling his neck to the side with a satisfying crack.

Turning back to Fíli, a smile splits across Kíli’s face when he finds the other back in dragon form, Fíli spreading his wings out and shaking the grass from the thin membranes. He licks a stripe up Kíli’s neck, ducking swiftly and nuzzling his head into the brunet’s stomach playfully.

“Ooof, cut it out, Fee!” Kíli laughs, reaching up to scratch Fíli under his chin before moving to the golden dragon’s side. Fíli crouches down and tips to the side, Kíli swinging up onto his back in a practiced move as they make their way towards the village.

 

* * *

 

The shop door chimes as Kíli walks in, a few customers giving the brunet a smile as he walks towards the counter. Leaning over the solid wood, Kíli looks into the backroom and sees Bilbo shifting through a few large boxes. A woman walks up and places her items on the counter, Kíli hurrying behind the register and ringing her up with a smile.

“That’ll be $8.75,” Kíli says, taking the money and doling out her change. He counts it back to her with a smile, just like Bilbo has drilled into his head since he started helping out. The woman thanks him happily, taking her bag and waving as she walks out the door. Kíli rings up a few more customers before the shop is quiet, Bilbo coming out of the backroom with small boxes spilling out of his arms. Kíli helps him stack them on the counter, and when he opens his mouth to speak, Bilbo cuts him off before a ‘hello’ even passes his lips.

“Don't think I haven’t heard what happened earlier,” Bilbo begins, walking over to the shelf next to the counter and stacking the small boxes of tea neatly where a few are missing. “While I was out sweeping the sidewalk, two very startled boys ran past and down towards the butcher shop, muttering things I just can’t believe.”

Kíli tries to hold in his grin, but his lips are curving upwards as the victory from earlier is still fresh in his mind. Bilbo turns his attention towards the brunet, Kíli trying to drop his grin before his adopted uncle can see it.

“I’m probably terrible for saying this, but well done, Kíli.” Bilbo says, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Those boys have tormented you for far too long, it’s about time you and Fíli shook them up a bit.”

Kíli lets out a laugh, throwing his arms around Bilbo and hugging him tightly. “You should have seen their faces, Uncle Bilbo! Fíli shot us right up and toppled them over!”

Bilbo chuckled at Kíli’s excitement, bringing his arms up and hugging the boy tightly. Pulling back, Kíli leans against the counter and gives his uncle a smile. “We’re going to head to the pond and try to catch some fish or maybe take a swim, I don't know yet,” the brunet says, leaning over the counter and fishing around for the extra bag of jerky he’d left there a few days ago. With a victorious grin, Kíli tucks the bag into his pocket and leans forward to give Bilbo another quick hug before dancing towards the door.

“Be careful, you hear me? And no more frightening—hey, where’s Fíli’s saddle?” Bilbo says sharply, catching sight of the blond dragon standing outside the shop.

“Bye, Uncle Bilbo!” Kíli calls hurriedly, ducking out of the shop and quickly pushing Fíli down the street. “Go, go, go!” The brunet hisses, shoving Fíli with both hands and jogging beside him. Fíli croons in question at their sudden departure, and Kíli almost runs into a few people as they dash towards the end of the street.

Once out of the market square, Kíli leads the dragon towards the tree line and tries to catch his breath. He digs around in his pockets distractedly, Fíli huffing at being ignored and craning his neck back to shove the human in the side.

“Excuse you, you big kitten,” Kíli teases, pulling the jerky out of his pocket and grinning when Fíli plops right down onto the grass and watches Kíli’s hand with wide eyes. Tossing a piece of the smoked meat to the dragon, Fíli catches it and squeals happily, using his tail to boost the brunet up onto his back. “Okay, when we get to the pond you can have some more,” Kíli tells him, stuffing the bag into his pocket and nearly falling off the dragon when Fíli flicks his wings out, launching upwards in a sudden move.

“AHHHHHH FÍLIIIIII!”

Growling playfully, the dragon climbs over the trees and drifts higher, leveling out as they near the clearing in the forest. Kíli loosens his death grip and squeezes Fíli’s sides with his legs, peering down at the sparkling pool beneath them.

“I wasn’t even holding on properly, Fee, are you trying to lose me?” Kíli scolds, trying to hide the grin from his voice. The Royale dragon huffs at the outlandish statement, angling his wings down to circle the pond. “Okay now, nice and slow. There’s no rush, we just need to—“

Rolling over to fly upside down, Fíli dumps the human into the clear water, keeping an eye on the him as he surfaces with a shout. “FÍLI!”

With a toothy grin, the golden dragon angles his wings to drift right over the pond, folding them in and crashing into the water with a huge splash. Kíli sputters as the wave overtakes him, and when a blond head pops up through the water, Kíli’s mock angry look splits into a grin.

“What the heck was that? Where are your manners, I thought you were a prince! Wait ‘till I tell your mother—gah!” Kíli laughs as Fíli lunges towards him, dunking the both of them under the water in a tangle of limbs. Kíli flails about, Fíli grabbing the back of his shirt and hauling him up. The blond drags them to the shore, Kíli pushing his wet hair back and squinting up at the sun.

“You’re lucky it’s so warm out,” the brunet grouses, crawling up onto the bank and lying on his back. Fíli flops across his middle in determination, shoving a hand into Kíli’s pocket to search for his promised treat.

“Woah, what do you think you’re doing? First you try to tip me off mid-flight and then you try and drown me, that kind of behavior does _not_ deserve a treat!” Kíli laughs, ignoring the whining as he pushes away Fíli’s grabby hands and moves to sit up.

“Treat please, Kee? Fíli will be good,” the blond promises, a hopeful look shining in his catlike eyes. With a smile, Kíli nods, fishing around in his pocket before giving Fíli a horrified look.

“It’s not in there, I think it fell out in the lake!” Kíli says, the blond’s eyes darting to the water as he scrambles to stand. Kíli grabs at his hand with a laugh, pulling him to sit back down before turning and reaching into his other pocket to pull the soggy bag out.

Turning to face the blond, Kíli gulps loudly when Fíli’s face is only inches away from his own. “Uhhh,” Kíli stutters, eyes blowing wide when the blond leans in the last few inches and presses his lips to Kíli’s.

Before the brunet can react, Fíli pulls away and leans down, trying to tug the bag of jerky from Kíli’s hands. The teen lets the treat go, a hand coming up to lightly touch his tingling lips, as if too much pressure will make the feeling fade faster. Fíli munches away at the meat, tearing a piece off with his teeth and shoving it into Kíli’s mouth. The brunet sputters, Fíli lurching back and cackling at the reaction.

Shaking his head, Kíli narrows his eyes at Fíli and shoves him over when he moves to stand. His face is flushed red, and he turns away from the dragon-turned-human to try and will the blush away. Fíli licks his fingers and scrambles up next to the brunet, ignoring the protests as he begins to push at his back and lead them towards the water.

“Fíli, stop! What are you—” Fíli pushes the brunet into the water, flopping in after him and flailing his arms around. “Feeeee!”

Flashing a grin at the brunet, Fíli takes a deep breath and sinks below the surface. Kíli swims out a ways and treads water, looking for any sign of Fíli. Bubbles start coming up to his left, Kíli’s brow furrowing before they shoot up to his hairline at the sight below him.

Letting out a high-pitched scream, Kíli’s hands scrabble for purchase on slick golden scales as Fíli surfaces from below. Spreading his wings out in the water, Fíli lifts his head and starts to dogpaddle around the pond, Kíli perched on his back.

Squeezing the dragon between his legs, Kíli lets out a laugh as he shifts to sit up straight. “I take it back, you’re not a kitten, you’re a big puppy!”

Fíli lets out a barking growl in his best imitation of a dog, stopping all movements and sinking into the water. Kíli yelps, kneeling up and standing on the dragon’s back as he slowly submerges. In a last ditch effort to avoid sinking with the dragon, Kíli leaps from Fíli’s back and splashes down next to him.

He surfaces just as Fíli’s head goes under, rolling onto his back and waiting before bubbles start to rise under him once again. Kíli rolls to his stomach and swims towards the shore, quickening his pace to try and beat the dragon there.

“Are you sure you’re not a water dragon?” Kíli shouts as he scrambles on his hands and knees up the bank. Fili comes bursting through the water behind him, wrapping his tail around the brunet’s waist and lifting him a few inches from the water. Kíli squeaks, his arms flailing wildly as Fíli half drags-half carries him to the grass and dumps him there. Waddling a few feet away, the golden dragon collapses onto the ground and spreads his wings out to dry in the afternoon sun.

Kíli pushes his hair back and crawls over towards the dragon, sitting beside his head and reaching over to scratch between Fíli’s eyes. The Royale dragon purrs happily, moving slightly to rest his head in Kíli’s lap.

“You know, if you were human right now we could talk,” Kíli hints, though Fíli closes his eyes and ignores him. Pursing his lips, Kíli decides to try a new tactic, running his hand from the top of Fíli’s head down his neck. The dragon’s purrs get louder as he tries to shift even closer to Kíli. “I would comb your hair with my fingers, too…” Kíli whispers knowingly, Fíli’s eyes snapping open and looking up at the human, as if to try and judge if he’s telling the truth. With a solid nod from Kíli, Fíli sits up and becomes a blur of scales, skin, and limbs.

Once back in his human form, Fíli crawls over into Kíli’s lap and settles in comfortably, Kíli snickering and reaching up to card long fingers through the tangled blond hair. “At least you’ve got shorts on this time,” Kíli muses, carefully working the knots free as Fíli leans heavily against his chest. Kíli almost falls over at the sudden weight, shifting himself to sit cross-legged and cradling Fíli’s body in the dip of his legs.

Fíli hums in content, eyes closing as he drifts sleepily in Kíli’s lap. The brunet gets the last of the tangles out of Fíli’s hair, bringing his other hand up to scratch lightly at the blond’s scalp before combing his fingers through golden hair.

Kíli’s heart swells as he takes in the sight of his partner, Fíli’s completely relaxed position in his lap relaying the trust the dragon has in him. He tries not to think of the past, before Fíli came tumbling into his life. Sometimes, though, Kíli remembers the lonely feeling that still lingers in the back of his mind, the thought that one day Fíli might vanish forever, just like his parents.

“Don’t ever leave me behind, okay Fee?” Kíli says in a small voice, the blond’s face pinching in confusion as he opens an eye to look at the brunet. Trying to will his gathering tears away, Kíli blinks up at the sun and ignores Fíli’s questioning gaze. Sensing the brunet’s discomfort, Fíli untangles himself and shifts positions, moving to sit facing Kíli and bending his legs to straddle the brunet. Kíli offers him a small smile, which turns into a choked gasp when Fíli leans forward and wraps his arms and legs around Kíli’s chest and waist.

“Stay with Kíli forever, never leave you behind,” Fíli whispers, nosing along Kíli’s neck and behind his ear, tugging an earlobe lightly in an affectionate gesture. The brunet leans into the embrace, his arms coming up around the Fíli’s back and hugging him close. They sit in silence for a while, and when Kíli feels the blond relax against him fully, he grins and brings his hands up to card through blond hair once more.

Fíli coos sleepily and Kíli begins to twist his fingers through the thick hair, parting it and weaving an easy braid. Shivering in his wet clothes, Kíli ties the end of the braid off with an extra strap of leather around his wrist, hugging the blond tighter and reveling in his inhuman warmth.

“Love you, Fíli,” Kíli whispers, placing a kiss to golden hair and resting a cheek on Fíli’s head. He shifts his arms and lies back, pulling Fíli down and holding him close to his chest. Kíli’s eyes droop and the chill is forgotten, Fíli’s body heating them both up like a warm blanket.

 

* * *

 

When Kíli wakes up, the first thing he notices is how dark it is. He rolls onto his back, opening bleary eyes and trying to adjust to the dim light of the clearing. Blinking a few times, the brunet lifts his hand to touch the large shadow looming over, fingers brushing what feels like warm leather.

He continues to run his fingers along the warmth, starting when the shadow is lifted up and away, dying sunlight streaming down into the clearing and making him blink repeatedly. Fíli coos at him, cocking his head to the side and looking down at Kíli with a grin.

“Whaa?” The brunet slurs, lifting himself to sit up and look around. They’re still at the pond, and although Fíli has changed forms again, his body’s still a burning heat next to the brunet. Leaning against the golden scales, Kíli brings a hand up to wipe at his eyes, pushing stringy hair from his face and squinting up at Fíli. “Hi, Fee.”

Leaning down, the blond licks a stripe along the side of Kíli’s face, the brunet frowning as he pushes Fíli’s head away. “Stoppit,” he mumbles, shifting onto his feet and raising his arms in a stretch. Fíli’s tongue darts out to lick the strip of exposed skin at his stomach, Kíli batting his head away and stepping up onto Fíli’s leg to flop over his back.

Fíli snorts at the brunet’s laziness, wrapping his tail around Kíli’s middle and lifting him properly onto his back. Kíli sits up and rubs the rest of the sleep from his eyes, yawning widely and gripping Fíli’s neck reflexively when the dragon shifts to his feet.

“Let’s take it easy on the way home, okay Fee?” Kíli suggests, the golden dragon nodding as he fans his wings out and shakes them. Holding tight, Kíli’s barely jolted when they lift into the air, Fíli going much slower than earlier.

Kíli wakes up further as they drift across the sky, reaching his arms out to his sides and laughing as the breeze flows over the both of them. Fíli hums happily, the vibrations traveling up Kíli’s legs and into his body, causing a giggle to explode from the brunet. They circle the cottage a few times, trying to find the easiest way to land without damaging anything important.

Focusing on the small patch of grass behind the hut, Fíli diverts his attention to a smooth landing, touching down with only a tiny bit of jostling. Kíli shouts happily from his back, wrapping his arms around Fíli’s neck and swinging down onto the ground.

“That was amazing, Fee! Best landing yet!” Kíli praises, leading the dragon up the small path and towards the cottage. Orcrist comes bursting out the back door, tackling Fíli to the ground and narrowly missing swatting Kíli with his tail. The brunet turns to watch the two dragons mock fight, Sting walking out to stand beside him and survey the battlefield.

Shaking his head, the rust colored dragon waddles away towards the garden, snarling at the other two dragons when Orcrist’s tail lands awfully close to the tomato plants. Thorin appears in the doorway, raising his brow at Kíli’s matted hair and muddy clothes.

“Do I even want to know?” He wonders, Kíli shooting him a grin and ducking into the kitchen. Hurrying up the stairs, Kíli strips off his dirty clothes, pulling on fresh underclothes just as a loud thump at the window catches his attention.

“Fíli! What are you doing?” Kíli shouts, running to the window and helping Fíli climb over the ledge and into the room. Orcrist is growling at the blond from below, his harsh barks and growls telling Kíli that the blond must have escaped his training a little too early. Straightening up and glancing out the window, Fíli grins triumphantly and waves to the dark dragon.

Orcrist glares for a few more seconds, head turning towards the other side of the yard when Thorin calls his attention. Turning from the window, Kíli pulls on a pair of dark shorts before rummaging through his drawer to find another pair.

“Here, put these on. Let me find a shirt,” Kíli thrusts the shorts at the blond, Fíli wrinkling his nose but pulling them on. Dragging a dark t-shirt over his own head, Kíli holds a green one out to the blond, who refuses to take it.

“C’mon Fee, you know Uncle Bilbo likes it when you wear clothes in that form,” Kíli reminds the blond, who sniffs the shirt and turns his nose up.

“Not green,” Fíli protests stubbornly, meandering around Kíli’s room and picking up random things to inspect. Kíli sighs loudly, mumbling about spoiled princes as he searches for a different shirt. Fíli finds the encyclopedia of dragons wedged between Kíli’s bed and nightstand, pulling it out and flopping down onto his stomach to flip it open.

Kíli leans out of his closet and glances at the blond, sighing in relief that he’s in one place and not rooting through random things. Snatching an identical blue shirt from the floor, Kíli heads over to the bed and sits beside Fíli.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” he asks, reaching over and pulling the tie from the end of Fíli’s messy braid. He moves up onto the bed, blushing as he straddles Fíli’s back and brushes the long hair out with his fingers.

“A book,” Fíli says vaguely, humming as Kíli begins to re-braid his hair, pulling sections from the side to braid. Gathering the hair at the front of Fíli’s face, Kíli weaves a large braid down Fíli’s head, securing it and leaning back to admire his work. The blond mumbles a thank you, the new braids at the side of his head keeping the hair from falling into his eyes. Kíli shifts off his back and onto the bed, pointing to random dragons amid the pages and rattling facts about them.

When Fíli gets to the pages about Royale dragons, Kíli’s only a bit embarrassed at how dog-eared they are. Scratching at the back of his neck, Kíli blushes when Fíli turns the page and finds the folded piece of paper stuck in the book. Reaching to snatch it away, Kíli huffs when Fíli rolls away and starts to unfold the page.

“Hey, don’t! That’s not part of the book, I—”

But it’s too late, Fíli’s already looking at the scrap of parchment Kíli’s scratched his picture on. The blond studies it with keen eyes before looking up at Kíli with a knowing grin. The brunet buries his face in his hands, trying to will the blush away as he silently starts to count to a hundred. Fíli carefully places the page back into the book, crawling forward and draping himself across Kíli’s back.

“Kíliiiii! Don’t hide!” Fíli groans, nuzzling the back of Kíli’s neck and pressing a quick kiss there. At the feeling of the blond’s lips on his skin, Kíli’s head shoots up, a new wave of foreign heat stirring throughout his body. “I like it,” Fíli murmurs, wrapping his hands around Kíli’s chest and resting a chin on his shoulder.

“I didn’t have much time to do it,” Kíli mutters, reaching up to squeeze Fíli’s hands before the blond releases him and tumbles backwards. Spinning around, Kíli throws the shirt to the teen sprawled on his bed and places his hands on his hips in a serious motion.

“Alright, put that shirt on and we can go see if Uncle Bilbo needs any help with dinner,” Kíli says, trying to stifle his giggle when Fíli can’t seem to find the arm holes in the shirt. Of all the times he’s become human, Fíli’s tolerance for wearing clothes is still very low. Bilbo demands he wear one while eating at the table, and Fíli’s not one to deny the fiery man.

Straightening the collar and dusting off his hands theatrically, Kíli laughs at their matching outfits. “Let’s go!” He ushers the blond to the door, Fíli spinning around right before he heads down to the kitchen.

“What are you—”

Leaning up, Fíli presses a swift kiss to Kíli’s lips before dashing down the stairs and into the kitchen, Bilbo’s startled yell echoing throughout the cottage. Thorin’s laughter carries up the hallway, and with a grin, Kíli heads down to find out what all the commotions about.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy to report that I've already written some of chapter 3 and there's angst on the horizon! 
> 
> I always have a fun time imagining what dragon!Fíli would look like, and I think he's becoming my favorite to write. I also laugh a lot when imagining how Kíli would react to moments/things Fíli does that are awkward or not very human. These boys amuse me so~


	3. A Storm is Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life continues on, and just when Kíli thinks things couldn't get any better, Dís brings the worst kind of news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hugs for everyone*
> 
> Thanks so much for the support! I hope everyone's still enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it~

* * *

 

Throwing the door to his room open, Kíli stumbles into the hallway towards the stairs. Taking them two at a time, the brunet teen almost runs over Sting at the bottom, letting out a shout and jumping over the rust colored dragon at the last minute.

Landing on his feet with a jarring motion, Kíli tips to the side and throws a hand out onto the wall to steady himself. “Woah, sorry Sting, can’t talk gotta go!” Kíli shouts as he runs towards the kitchen, the back door a beacon of hope.

Right when he passes through the doorway into the kitchen, Bilbo steps in front of him and grabs his arm, Kíli jerking to a stop with wide eyes. Bilbo shoves a small bottle into his arms, giving him a stern look that has Kíli standing to attention.

“You, take your dragon and go give him a wash. If he refuses to bathe in human form, it’s your responsibility to make sure he gets clean.” Bilbo says before turning back to the meat he’s browning. Kíli opens his mouth to protest, though the glare Bilbo shoots him has the brunet nodding and walking calmly towards the door. Sting snickers from the doorway, Kíli turning from tying his bootlaces and sticking his tongue out childishly.

Pushing the door open and heading outside, Kíli searches the backyard for any sign of Fíli. He follows a low growling and finds Orcrist standing by the garden, the fire dragon wearing what can only be described an exasperated look on his usually serious face. Shaking his head at Kíli, the dark dragon tips his head up towards the roof, Kíli spinning around and looking up.

Fíli’s watching them from the highest point of the roof, crouching low with his tail lashing as he whistles at Orcrist. The fire dragon growls, shaking his head and moving around Kíli towards the cottage. Fíli pops up with a victorious croon, Kíli waving his arms and shaking his head with a worried look to the kitchen window.

“Shhh, if Bilbo comes out here and sees you up there, Orcrist is going to be the last of your worries!” Kíli hisses, lowering his arms and trying to remain calm. Fíli carefully walks across the roof, Kíli moving his arms up and down in a ‘slow down’ motion. Spreading his wings out, Fíli crouches before beating his wings and lifting up into the air.

“Yes, that’s it, come down here so we can go,” Kíli sighs in relief when Fíli lands next to him, budging up against his side and sniffing at the bottle in his hands. “Okay, let’s—“

“Don’t you dare leave without Fíli’s saddle,” Kíli hears Bilbo shout from the window, both boy and dragon looking up with innocent faces.

“I was just going to get it, Bilbo!” Kíli grins quickly, a little _too_ quickly, before heading towards the shed and pulling the dark leather out. Fíli grimaces when Kíli lifts the heavy saddle onto his back, snorting hot air into Kíli’s hair when he leans down near Fíli’s neck to adjust one of the buckles.

 

“I know, Fee, but _he’s right there_ ,” Kíli mutters, patting Fíli on the shoulder before moving down to Fíli’s side. Fíli dips into a crouch as Kíli climbs into the saddle, the teen waving to a smiling Bilbo as Fíli launches up into the air.

 

* * *

 

As the duo walks towards the water pumps at the end of the street, Kíli glances around and notices a few dragons watching them. Some have paused in following their partners, while others are just sitting around and fanning out their wings in fluttery motions.

“Geez, it not _that_ hot out today,” Kíli mutters, pushing at Fíli’s side to keep him moving. The golden dragon is talking the town in with wide eyes, his attention shifting from the dragons on one side of the street to the other.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Kíli mumbles when Fíli lets out a strange noise, ducking his head and pushing one of the empty buckets towards the human. Kíli glances back down the street and shrugs, moving to place the bucket under the pump. Kíli spits into his hands and rubs them together, blushing lightly when Fíli eyes him with a strange look. “What? All the tough guys do it,” Kíli states, reaching for the handle and moving it up and down to coax the water out. Fíli’s tail wraps around the handle to help, and within seconds the clear water is flowing into the bucket.

Filling three of the buckets, Kíli drags two towards one of the designated washing areas, Fíli carrying the last in his mouth, though most of the water sloshes over the sides. Shaking his head at the dragon, Kíli pulls the bottle of soap from his pocket and pours a bit into one of the buckets.

Fíli watches this with a raised eyebrow, and when Kíli asks him to sit, the golden dragon does with little fuss. The brunet sets about removing the leather saddle, Fíli crooning happily once he’s free. Kíli lugs it to the side, reaching down to slip off his boots and roll his pant legs up.

“Okay, let’s do this,” he grins, pulling his tunics off and them it to the side, where they hopefully won’t get wet during their task. Fíli ducks his head and blows raspberries onto the pale skin of Kíli’s stomach, causing him to erupt into snorting laughter.

Pushing Fíli’s head away, Kíli grabs the first bucket of water, lugging it closer towards them. Fíli whistles excitedly, bending low and tucking his wings in so Kíli can get closer. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

With a grunt, Kíli empties the bucket over Fíli’s back, reaching for the scrap of ripped shirt Bilbo had tossed him before pushing him out of the door. “You know, this would be a lot easier if you’d just bathe in human form,” Kíli comments loftily, lathering the makeshift rag with the unscented soap and beginning to rub Fíli’s scales. The dragon just coos happily, enjoying the massage as Kíli rubs him down.

A chorus of giggles has both their heads whipping up, a group of village girls watching them from the street. Giggling behind their hands, the girls grin and watch the two of them with sparkling eyes.

Kíli accidentally drops the rag, scrambling to pick it up and leaning coolly against Fíli’s side. “Uh, hello?” The teen says eloquently, cursing himself internally for his serious lack of social skills. More giggles have Kíli cocking his head to the side, Fíli copying the motion with narrowed eyes.

“Hi Kíli,” the girls singsong, shifting on their feet as if waiting to be invited forward. Kíli’s mouth gapes wordlessly, and just when he’s gathered his wits enough to speak, a low growling comes from the golden dragon behind him.

Head whipping down, Kíli’s brow furrows at the sight of Fíli’s bared teeth and narrow eyes. The girls step back uncertainly, and Kíli quickly moves to stand in front of Fíli’s head, blocking him from view.

“That’s right, Fee, gotta brush your teeth next,” Kíli laughs weakly, rubbing at Fíli’s head and shooting the girls a nervous smile. Bringing his hand up to wave to them, the trio bursts into more giggles as they carry on down the street.

“What in Mahal’s name was _that?_ ” Kíli hisses, throwing the rag onto Fíli’s back and trying to climb up, only to slip right back down. The dragon is ignoring him, and only after two more attempts to climb up does Fíli lift the human helpfully with his tail. Kíli scrubs along Fíli’s back as he waits for any kind of response, but Fíli continues to remain stiff and unrelenting.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?” Kíli asks quietly, rubbing at Fíli’s shoulders and lower neck. The dragon relaxes slightly, eyes tracking the rag Kíli throws down into a bucket of water.

Throwing his arms around Fíli’s neck, Kíli leans heavily against the pouting dragon and sighs. “Fíli, are you okay? Do you want to go home?” Kíli murmurs against golden scales, a smile crossing his face when the tip of Fíli’s tail comes up to dig playfully into the brunet’s side. With a laugh, Kíli leans back and slips off the soapy back, coming around to stand in front of the dragon.

“Let’s finish up here and then we can go flying,” Kíli says with a grin, Fíli giving a nod and licking a stripe up Kíli’s neck. The dragon snorts loudly at the taste of soap and Kíli doubles over in laughter. “That’s what you get!” Kíli wheezes out, snatching the rag and swirling it around into the bucket.

 

The rest of Fíli’s bath continues without dramatics, though neither of them really need outside distractions to lose track of what they’re doing. More than once, Kíli falls into the dirt, and three times Fíli almost knocks over their buckets of water. Some thirty minutes later, Fíli’s scales are shining in the sun, wings spread out in the grass and drying in the late summer heat.

 

* * *

 

“Ready!” Kíli shouts, Fíli spreading his wings out to their full length and flexing quickly. The brunet squeezes Fíli with his legs, the dragon’s dark saddle lying forgotten on the ground a few feet away. Fíli bends his legs before launching upwards, Kíli letting out a whooping laugh when they shoot above the trees, the wind ruffling through his mostly dry clothing.

Banking to the left, Fíli flies them over the forest and toward the sea, the clear blue water sparkling in the afternoon sun. Fíli dips down to fly just over the water, skimming the top with the tips of his wings. Kíli gets a sudden idea, shifting around on Fíli’s back and wrapping his arms around the dragon’s neck. Fíli coos questioningly, letting out a screeching noise when Kíli slides around his front and hangs from clasped hands behind the dragon’s neck.

“Haaaa, it worked!” The brunet teen laughs, face pressed to the warm scales of Fíli’s neck as his bare feet skim the water below, sending a spray along Fíli’s chest and legs. Kicking his legs in the water, Kíli’s grip tightens when Fíli lowers him even further, his feet completely submerged and dragging through the cool seawater.

“Okay, now I just need to—ahh!”

Kíli’s grip slips from around the dragon, sending him splashing down into the water with a flurry of flailing limbs. Fíli growls, flattening his wings out to stall himself as he wheels back around. Kíli pops up with a laugh, bobbing and squinting in the sunlight at the golden dragon fast approaching.

“Oops, that was my bad,” Kíli says, giving Fíli a sheepish grin as the dragon moves to hover over him. Reaching up, Kíli grabs onto Fíli’s leg and holds tight. When Fíli starts to lift him, Kíli’s grip slips and he falls back into the water. Breaking the surface, Kíli laughs again and moves to float on his back. “I guess that’s not going to work, any other ideas?”

With a nod, Fíli circles around and starts chirping at Kili. Moving his neck down, Fíli tries to relay a message Kíli doesn't quite understand. He flies away a bit before spinning back around, keeping himself low to the water so Kíli can reach him. The brunet makes a circle with his arms above his head as Fíli gets closer, linking his hands tightly when Fíli ducks his neck through the circle.

“Hurry, Fee!” Kíli yells, his grip slipping as the climb straight up into the sky. Kíli grits his teeth, and with a strangled shout, his hands slip free and he starts to free-fall towards the water. Hair and limbs whipping around as he tumbles through the air, Kíli lets out a shrill scream as he falls.

Snapping his wings close to prevent drag, Fíli dives and gets below the falling human, Kíli grunting when he lands hard on the dragon’s back, his breath leaving his lungs with the impact. As they level out and head towards the forest, Fíli keens and he cranes his head back to check on the brunet. Kíli’s lying sideways on Fíli’s back, holding tight to warm scales and trying to breathe evenly. The Royale dragon does his best to fly steady, catching the small updrafts and doing his best not to beat his wings too much.

After a few minutes, Kíli shifts around on his stomach, swinging his leg around and straddling Fíli with a heavy sigh. “Let’s not try that again any time soon, okay?” Kíli says, giving Fíli’s neck a scratch before lifting his arms out to his sides. “At least my clothes will dry out faster this way.”

The golden dragon huffs out a laugh, drifting over the trees lazily as they head towards the fields. A sharp whistle has Fíli’s head snapping up, blue eyes narrowing at something in the sky overhead. Kíli reaches up to shade his eyes, trying to spot whatever’s caught his dragon’s attention.

“Oh wow,” Kíli whispers as he notices the four large dragons flying above them, grinning when he spots familiar sapphire scales. “Look, Fee, it’s your Mama!” The princess breaks away from the group, spotting Fíli and angling her descent towards them.

With a resigned huff, Fíli heads toward the field and prepares to land. Kíli whispers encouragements as they line up, Fíli touching down with ease and puffing his chest out proudly. The brunet laughs, slipping from Fíli’s back and pulling his hair back, tying it off with a strap of leather from his wrist.

Dís lands a few moments after, her regal grace extending to her perfect landing, much to Fíli’s annoyance. He chirps at his mother in welcome, scampering over and nuzzling her neck in a dragon’s hug. Kíli looks down and scuffs at the dirt with his bare feet, wincing internally at how he _knows_ he looks right now, in his tattered tunic and worn shorts. Fíli whistles to him, walking back over and nuzzling his face into Kíli’s stomach, eliciting a laugh from the brunet.

“Hello,” Kíli says shyly, the large sapphire dragon approaching the two and nipping at Kíli’s hair affectionately. The human lets out the breath he’s been holding and laughs, reaching up to scratch under Dís’ chin, receiving a happy coo from the princess. Stepping back from the pair, Dís gives Fíli a chirp that has the golden dragon shifting just a few inches away from the brunet. Kíli glances behind himself with a confused look, a loud whooshing noise making him to spin back around to face Dís.

Eyes widening, Kili takes in the brunette woman standing before him, clad in a deep blue dress and traveling cloak, hair done up in intricate braids and twists.

“Hello, Kíli,” she smiles, stepping forward and enveloping the stunned teen into a tight embrace. Nuzzling into the dark hair, Kíli tenses when he realizes what has just happened. “Now, now, none of that,” Dís grins, pulling back and throwing her arm across his shoulder. Fíli makes a strange noise, both Dís and Kíli turning to look at him.

Giving her son an expectant look, Fíli’s golden scales being to shift and meld into tanned human limbs. Fíli stands up straight when the transformation finishes, Dís sighing loudly at the sight of him.

“Really, Fíli? You could have at least give yourself some shorts,” the woman says in an exasperated voice, unhooking her cloak and trying to pass it to the blond. Fíli shakes his head, a faint blush dusting his nose and cheeks as he stumbles the few feet to Kíli and grabs at his tunic.

Laughing at the sight, Kíli quickly strips his outer tunic off, wedging it between his knees before stripping his undershirt off and handing it to Fíli. Dís watches with a raised brow, Kíli giving her an embarrassed smile as he shrugs his outer shirt back on.

“He likes the under tunic better, because it’s softer, I guess.” Kíli offers, reaching over to help guide Fíli’s arms through the right holes. Kíli’s under tunic is one of Thorin’s old shirts, and on Fíli, it goes to about mid-thigh, covering the necessary bits.

“Smells like Kíli,” Fíli says simply, leaning in and shoving his nose into Kíli’s neck. The brunet squirms, face now bright red as he tries to escape from Fíli.

“Fee, stop it,” he whines, trying to push the blond away, though Fíli just brushes the attempts off and rests his head on Kíli’s shoulder. Kíli tries to will his blush away, refusing to look up at Fíli’s mother and wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

Dís shakes her head at the sight, reaching over and flicking Fíli in the middle of his forehead. “Leave Kíli alone, Fíli.” The blond sticks his tongue out playfully, Kíli remaining frozen between the two of them. Turning to the brunet with a smile, Dís leads him away from Fíli and towards the village.

“We need to talk about some things, are your guardians home?” Kíli nods and leads the way, Fíli sputtering for a few seconds before he stumbles forward to follow. Latching onto Kíli’s arm, the blond laces their fingers clumsily and matches their steps. Kíli squeezes their hands nervously, leading the two Royale dragons towards the small cottage.

 

 

* * *

 

“Uncle Thorin, Uncle Bilbo! We have company!” Kíli shouts as he throws he door open, lurching forward to catch the heavy wood and prevent it from banging into the wall. Fíli snickers from his side, Kíli shooting him a weak grin as he ushers them inside.

“Kíli, is that you? Who are you—oh!” Bilbo stops suddenly, eyes widening as he takes in the blond and brunette beside Kíli. Thorin comes in behind him, Orcrist leaning in the doorway and chuffing lowly.

“Uncle Thorin, Uncle Bilbo, this is Fíli and his mother, Dís,” Kíli introduces awkwardly, shuffling to the side and motioning them to the living room. Sting looks up from his place by the fire, chirping out some kind of greeting before lying his head back down and watching the scene unfold. They all take seats except for Bilbo, who seems to remember himself after a few moments of shock.

“Goodness me, what can I get you to drink? An ale or cup of tea? Wine perhaps, though nothing alcoholic for you, Fíli.” Bilbo asks with a smile, Dís laughing at Fíli’s pout and requesting a cup of tea.

“Fíli, hot chocolate?” Bilbo asks, the blond’s eyes widening as he begins to nod eagerly, squirming excitedly in his chair next to a laughing Kíli. Kíli nods when Bilbo gives him a questioning look, failing to muffle his laughter with a hand over his mouth.

“Right away, please make yourselves at home,” Bilbo smiles, shooting Thorin a look before heading into the kitchen to prepare drinks. Dís is smiling at the boys, Fíli now trying to climb into Kíli’s lap to figure out what has the brunet laughing so much. Placing both hands on Fíli’s shoulders, Kíli tries to keep him still, reaching up and swiftly braiding in Fíli’s favorite pattern that keeps his hair out of his eyes.

When he’s finished, Kíli pulls his legs up so Fíli can’t get into his lap, grinning when both Dís and Thorin clear their throat to get their attention.

Before either can comment, Bilbo returns carrying a large tray, handing Dís her tea and Thorin an ale before presenting each teen with a cup of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Fíli’s eyes widen like saucers, Kíli quickly reaching over to cover the blond’s mug with a hand to stop him from burning his mouth.

“It’s hot, you have to wait a—Fíli!”

The blond hisses quietly, licking Kíli’s hand and grinning when the brunet pulls away to wipe the saliva off. Fíli brings the mug to his lips quickly, taking a few large gulps of the hot liquid and giving Bilbo a pleased coo.

“Very good, thank you!” The blond smiles at Bilbo, Kíli’s mouth gaping as he tries to understand how Fíli can drink the hot liquid so easily. Fíli turns to give Kíli a grin, the brunet beginning to laugh once more when he sees the whipped cream all over Fíli’s face. Reaching up to wipe the white froth off, Kíli grins and takes a tiny sip of his own hot chocolate.

“I’m sorry to impose like this,” Dís says suddenly, gaining everyone’s’ attention. Bilbo waves her off and Thorin nods, settling back in his chair and waiting for her to continue. Fíli and Kíli have settled down and are sipping at their hot chocolates, Fíli mimicking Kíli’s small sips with exaggerated movements, Kíli sniggering loudly.

“Winter will be approaching soon, and the return to Erebor is being planned as we speak,” Dís begins, finishing her tea and looking for a place to set the cup, Kíli jumping up and taking it from her quickly. Fíli’s eyes slit as they shoot to his mother, a frown etching across his face when he realizes _why_ she wanted to talk to Kíli’s guardians.

“Thank you, Kíli. As I was saying, the trip to Erebor will be a long one, and there are many things we need to go over before we leave.” The brunette continues, Kíli listening attentively as he collects a few cups and takes them to the kitchen quickly. Walking back into the room, the young human leans against the back of Fíli’s chair and listens intently, ignoring the squirming dragon boy.

“There are many things humans do not know about our kind, and I hope to shed some light on a few things tonight,” Dís explains, Fíli’s face blank as he listens to his mother continue. “As you know, Fíli is a prince of Erebor, bound to both his kingdom and his duty.” Fíli shifts uneasily, Kíli’s hand snaking down to card through the wild blond hair in a comforting gesture.

“He is much like you are, Kíli. Still growing and ever learning, eager to jump into new experiences and learn new ideas and ways,” Dís smile wavers, sending a sudden lump into Kíli’s throat. Her voice has changed somewhat, and both teens tense slightly when they sense something ominous coming.

“It is custom for our kin to learn the ways of defense and battle all throughout our lives, but the years before and after we reach maturity are the most essential,” Dís says softly, ignoring Fíli’s frown and focusing on the brunet teen. “I’m so sorry, Kíli, but Fíli must travel back to Erebor with us and complete his training.”

“But I’ve only just found him,” Kíli whispers after a few awkward moments of silence, all happiness and laughter gone as he shifts his weight uneasily from one foot to the other.  “I thought we were supposed to be together forever, not on opposite sides of the world.”

“The bond you share is so strong already, after only a few months. I have little doubt that Fíli will be able to find his way back to you once he’s passed his rights.”

Kíli raises his head to look at the dragon princess, a horrible feeling settling like lead in his stomach. “But there’s a chance he won’t, isn’t there? That he won’t come back and he’ll find someone else.”

“Kíli!” Thorin’s voice cuts in, the young brunet snapping his mouth shut and whispering a nearly silent apology. Fíli tries to move to his side, though Dís places a hand on his shoulder and keeps him in place.

“I’m sorry, I’m just tired. I think I need a glass of water, please excuse me,” Kíli mumbles, ducking out of the living room and heading into the kitchen. Fíli tries once again to follow, Dís adding pressure to her son’s shoulder in a silent command to stay.

Bilbo rings the towel in his hands anxiously, Dís turning to him and Thorin with a sad look. “I did not intend for this to happen, I swear to you. Fíli has never shown interest in anyone before coming here, and we never expected for him to find a rider.”

“We understand, and Kíli will too, with time. He’s been through so much already, he’ll adjust, and a few years is hardly forever,” Thorin says quietly, his heart aching for his nephew. Kíli has become so happy since he’d found Fíli, and Thorin knows this threat of losing the blond will weigh heavily on the young lad.

Fíli lurches forward suddenly, pupils narrowing into tiny slits as he shakes his mother’s firm grip off. “Fíli? What’s—”

“Kíli,” the blond growls, following behind Bilbo as he dashes up from his chair and heads into the kitchen. When they arrive in the doorway, Kíli is nowhere to be seen, an alert Orcrist coming into the room from the stairway and sniffing around anxiously. As Thorin and Dís appear behind them, Fíli darts towards the back door and throws it open, ignoring everyone as he dashes out into the night.

“Fíli! What are you…” Bilbo’s words are swallowed in a gust of wind, golden scales shining in the moonlight as Fíli takes to the skies.

“Orcrist, check the market and the outcrop, he has to be around here somewhere,” Thorin orders, the dark dragon nodding before shooting out the door after Fíli. Dís moves to follow, Thorin’s hand on her elbow stalling the upset woman.

“I think it’d be best for you to wait here,” the brunet says softly, Dís looking like she wants to protest, though she nods reluctantly. Thorin grabs his cloak from the hook by the door, shrugging it on and pressing a kiss to Bilbo’s cheek before setting out on the search.

“I’m so sorry, I never wanted this,” Dís says in a small voice, Bilbo ushering her to the kitchen table and setting about making a new pot of tea.

“Don’t you worry, Lady Dís, Fíli will find him and all will be well. How about we have something for everyone to eat when they get back, hmm? Have you ever made lemon scones before?” Bilbo asks, already bustling about the kitchen collecting ingredients.

  

* * *

  
“I’m so stupid,” Kíli tells himself, dashing through the trees on long legs and lifting an arm to wipe at his eyes. “To think I’d actually found a dragon of my own.” He hiccups, stumbling over a fallen branch and pitching forward, hands shooting out to break his fall.

He stays down on his hands and knees for a few minutes, tears leaking down his face and dripping onto the dirt below. Digging his fingers into the soil, Kíli shakes his head and gets back to his feet, continuing his trek through the forest. The evening is a cool one, and Kíli’s thankful he managed to tug his boots on before he left the cottage.

He’d gone the opposite way his Uncles would think to look, heading north instead of the familiar southern woods. The trees are thicker here, briars and thorny bushes covering large expanses of the forest floor. Kíli ignores their sting, trudging forward with no plan or destination in mind, just the need to get away fueling his movements. His main goal was to get out of the cottage, and now that he’s done that, the brunet is at a loss for what to do.

The scratching of branches and leaves have him rethinking his decision, but Kíli just wraps his arms around himself and keeps moving forward in a straight line. “This was a stupid idea, Uncle Thorin is going to _kill_ me.”

Kíli comes upon a small clearing, moving towards the base of a large tree and settling against the trunk of it. Pulling his legs up to his chest, Kíli buries his face into dirty knees and lets his tears fall freely.

The chilly breeze floats around the shaking teen, Kíli hugging himself tighter as shivers wrack his frame. An owl calls from above, startling the teen and sending him scrambling away from the dark tree. A crash sounds from the distance, Kíli freezing and automatically reaching behind for his bow, but his hand meets empty air.

“Oh gods, I’m so dead,” he whispers through his tears, stepping back and pressing his back to the tree once more. Kíli keeps his eyes on the tree line, almost shouting in relief when a familiar high pitched whine breaks the ominous noises of the forest.

Fíli charges into the clearing, eyes wide and catlike as they search around frantically. Azure lock with frightened brown and when Kíli takes a few shaky steps forward, Fíli closes the distance between them in mere seconds.

“Fee,” Kíli croaks, throwing his arms around the golden dragon and collapsing against him. Fíli curls his neck and tail around the human in an affectionate embrace, Kíli shivering unconsciously. Fíli croons against him, eyes raking over the numerous cuts and tears in both Kíli’s skin and clothing. Nuzzling into Kíli’s neck, the dragon breathes warm air over the teen, Kíli’s shivers tapering off at the warmth that wraps around him.

Sinking to his knees, Kíli buries into the golden dragon and cries, at both his stupidity and at the words Dís had said earlier. He closes his eyes and holds on tightly, not even noticing when Fíli’s scales begin to shift to skin. “I don’t want you to go, Fee, what if you forget all about me an—”

“Kíli, won’t forget about you, not ever,” Fíli’s human voice coos in his ear, the blond wrapping his arms around Kíli’s shaking frame and rocking him back and forth. Kíli snuggles into the embrace, once again glad that Fíli’s body temperature runs higher than a normal human’s does.  “Kíli is mine to keep, forever.”

Lifting his head, Kíli searches Fíli’s eyes for any sign of doubt or unease, though the golden prince’s eyes hold nothing but promise and affection. Tipping his head down, the blond catches Kíli’s lips in a sweet kiss, the brunet melting into him in response. Pulling back, Fíli rubs his nose against Kíli’s and trails it down the his cheek.

“Kíli okay?” He whispers softly, tightening his hold on the human and resting his head on Kíli’s shoulder. The teen shakes his head, an unsteady hand coming up to run through Fíli’s wild hair.

“I’m scared,” comes the quiet reply, Fíli shifting his hold on Kíli so that he’s in _his_ lap. Humming softly, Fíli begins to card his fingers through Kíli’s dark hair, twisting the mess of it into a sloppy braid.

“Hey Fee, why’d you kiss me?” Kíli wonders quietly, keeping his head low in order to avoid Fíli’s gaze. He does glance up, however, when the blond makes a huffing noise, as if he’s chiding a small child.

“Always seal promise with a kiss,” the blond states, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He then says something in a strange language, one that Kíli’s never heard before. Kíli furrows his brow but before he can ask about it, Fíli kisses his cheek before licking a stripe from chin to temple.

“Gah! Fee!” Kíli laughs, pushing at Fíli’s face a tumbling out of the dragon boy’s lap. Fíli grins at how well his plan worked, watching as Kíli stands and scrubs the tear tracks from his face. “I guess we better head back, or maybe I’ll just stay out here forever after the stupid stunt I pulled in front of your Mother.” Kíli rubs the back of his head, cheeks flaming red in embarrassment when he thinks about storming out of the cottage and leaving everyone behind.

Fíli steps close to Kíli, smacking both of the brunet’s cheeks between his hands so Kíli’s lips purse like a fish. “No more worries,” Fíli states sternly, giving Kíli’s head a small shake before planting his lips quickly against Kíli’s.

Stepping back Fíli keeps his azure eyes fixed on Kíli as he shifts, doing a full body shake before turning and leaning down to Kíli. Growing playfully, Fíli wiggles invitingly, wrapping his tail around Kíli’s middle and helping him up onto his back.

“Let’s go home,” Kíli says with a resigned sign, nearly falling off the golden dragon’s back when Fíli lets out a playful roar. Flexing his wings, Fíli takes off towards the cottage, going the long way over both the forest and coast. Kíli leans against Fíli’s back, bringing his arms up to wrap around the dragon’s neck.

They land in the backyard in a tumble of limbs, Fíli lifting his head sharply when he inhales the smell of fresh lemon coming from the open window. Shifting to his human form, Fíli barrels towards the kitchen door, completely naked. Kíli smacks his forehead, dragging the hand down his face as he waits for Bilbo’s shouts.

He isn’t disappointed, both Bilbo and Dís’ scolding coming loud and clear through the open door. Kíli peeks inside, grinning when he sees a naked Fíli sitting on the floor, a lemon scone in each hand and a third sticking out of his mouth. Fíli’s head turns as Kíli enters the kitchen, holding a scone out to the brunet and grinning around his mouthful.

Kíli steps forward and takes one of the pastries, holding it in his hand as he works up the courage to look up at Bilbo and Dís. Fíli senses the teen’s distress, unfolding himself from the floor and moving behind Kíli, resting his head between shaking shoulders in silent comfort. After what seems like forever, Kíli takes a deep breath, looking up and losing his courage when he notices that Thorin, Orcrist, and Sting have joined them.

A mortifying noise comes out of Kíli’s mouth, Fíli taking it as his cue to scramble up Kíli’s back and try to reach for the scone he still holds. The blond’s movements seem to break the tension, Bilbo giving Kíli a soft smile before shooing the dragons out of the room. Kíli breaks the scone in half, handing part of it up to Fíli and using his free hand to try and keep the dragon-turned-human steady.

“I uh, I’m sorry for running away,” Kíli says softly, his eyes shifting from Thorin to Dís. “It was really stupid and I can’t just keep running away from…from what I’m afraid of.” Fíli stills at the soft confession, sliding down Kíli’s back and resting his head on the brunet’s shoulder. Dís steps forward hesitantly, as if she’s afraid Kíli will bolt again. Kíli doesn’t move right away, but when she takes another step toward him, Kíli flinches back as she gets closer.

“I’m so sorry,” the princess says quietly, stopping a few feet away. “I never wanted you two to be apart, but…”

“I understand,” Kíli interrupts, looking to the side and trying to keep himself in check. “It’s only for a little while, right? He’ll be back before I know it.”

Fíli worms his way in front of Kili, nodding vigorously and wrapping around the human like a second skin. “You boys are strong,” she says with a half smile, nodding sharply and turning to Thorin and Bilbo. “I’ll be off now, thank you again for your hospitality,” she says formally, Bilbo fretting over her as they make their way towards the door.

Fíli whistles some kind of half-hearted goodbye, grabbing Kíli’s hand and dragging him up the stairs to the bedroom. Kíli nearly stumbles over his own feet, crashing through his door and heading straight for the closet, kicking his boots off to the side. Pulling out his favorite shirt, he throws it to Fíli, digging around for a set of pajamas. “I can’t believe you spent that whole confrontation naked!”

When he turns back around, Fíli’s standing at the window, watching the large sapphire dragon head back towards the capital. For once, he’s got his shirt on the right way, and the image he makes standing there looking out the window causes something in Kíli’s heart stir. Fíli’s eyes are bright and wide, his pupils expanding in the darkened room, giving off an almost human look. His lips are parted slightly, mouth curled up in a lopsided grin that Kíli wants to kiss off his face.

Shaking his head at the sudden thought, Kíli tries to cover his blush by quickly changing his own clothes, pulling the shirt down over his head and glancing up to find Fíli’s dark eyes focused on him. Kíli gives the blond an oddly nervous smile, moving over and glancing out at the nearly full moon.

“That’s a pretty cool sight,” Kíli points out, stretching his arms out behind him and nudging Fíli with his shoulder. The blond nudges back, using too much strength that nearly topples Kíli over. Laughing loudly, Fíli quickly scampers to the bed, burrowing under the covers and peeking out at Kíli.

“Coward! Face me like a man!” Kíli shouts, diving onto the bed and reaching down to run his nimble fingers over Fíli’ sides. The dragon prince snorts a keening laugh, the noise making Kíli double his efforts of attack.

“I’m not a man!” Fíli yells, freeing his own hands from being wedged at his sides and shoving them under Kíli’s shirt, squeezing above the human’s hips and sending Kíli flailing to the side with laughter. With a victorious grin, Fíli moves onto his knees over Kíli, running his fingers up and down the brunet’s chest.

“Okay, truce! Truce!” Kíli laughs, a sigh of relief passing his lips when Fíli’s hands still, though he makes no move to pull them from under Kíli’s shirt. His chest heaving, Kíli looks at the blond above him, blinking away the tears of laughter that have gathered in the corners of his eyes. “You win.”

“Truce,” Fíli reminds with a smirk, collapsing as dead weight over Kíli and snuggling into the human teen. Kíli grunts, bringing his hands up and wrapping them around Fíli’s back.

“I need to take a bath,” Kíli muses absently, Fíli sniffing his shirt and shaking his head. “Don't give me that, _you’ve_ already had your bath, but I was in both the sea and the forest today, if you don’t recall,” Kíli says, trying to shift the dragon boy off his chest so he can get up. Fíli isn’t having any of it, using his advantage in strength to keep the brunet pinned to the bed.

Wiggling around, Kíli’s face turns bright red when he realizes how Fíli has him pinned, the blond reaching up and securing Kíli’s arms up above his head. With a wide-eyed stare, Kíli looks up at Fíli, who leans down slowly to press a soft kiss to Kíli’s parted lips. When the brunet doesn’t make any moves to push him away, Fíli presses again firmly, tracing Kíli’s bottom lip with his tongue.

A quiet moan fills the room, and when Fíli pulls back with a haughty look, the human teen blushes as red as one of Bilbo’s prized tomatoes. “W-what’d you do that f-for?”

“Kíli’s mine,” Fíli says simply, nosing along Kíli’s cheek. With a yawn, the prince settles back across Kíli’s chest and lets out a content sigh. “Sleep now?”

“I guess I could bathe in the morning,” Kíli murmurs, still in a state of mild shock. Fíli coos happily, leaning away to grab Kíli’s comforter and lifting it over the both of them.

After a while Kíli relaxes completely, Fíli’s soft snores tickling his neck. The blond is literally sprawled across his chest, their legs tangled together on the small bed. Kíli shifts his body to try and move his bedmate to the side, Fíli growling lowly and fitting his mouth over the juncture of Kíli’s neck and shoulder, biting softly.

Freezing his movements Kíli sighs audibly when Fíli shifts against him, burying his face where his mouth just was. Settling back into his pillows, Kíli resigns himself to having a warm dragon blanket throughout the night.

* * *

 


	4. The Leave Taking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli learns a few things and unfortunately it's time for the boys to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really more like chapter 3.5~

* * *

 

The next few months pass in a blur, and before they know it, Fíli’s departure date is only a few days away. The blond has been at the capital with his mother and the rest of their party for the past five days, but to Kíli it seems he’s been gone forever.

Autumn has set into the valley, the leaves stained yellow, red, and orange like fire. Kíli’s been down at the forge with his uncle and Orcrist for the past few days, working furiously on Fíli’s present. He’s got a few burns and blisters to show for his hard work, and as he carves the finishing touches into the silver bead, he can’t help but feel anxiety swirling in his stomach.

Before he had left for the capital, Fíli had been extra cuddly around the human teen, in both of his forms. Kíli had gotten an old book from Dís about Royale dragons, and the first thing Kíli did was look up Fíli’s strange behavior.

He hadn’t found much, and what he did find didn't really make any sense. Fíli certainly wasn't nesting or getting a safe place ready for eggs, so Kíli couldn't really figure out why he was being so overly affectionate.

Until he skimmed the chapter about courting and mates.

Reading the first few lines had Kíli slamming the book shut, cheeks aflame as he shoved it under a pile of papers on his desk. Fíli had lifted his head from his curled up position on the bed, giving Kíli a sleepy but worried look. Kíli had shaken his head, walked over to the bed and slipped in beside the blond. Kíli bit back his comment about the Fíli’s lack of clothes, knowing by now that Fíli much preferred to go around naked in his human form, no matter how many times Kíli and Bilbo scolded him.

Fíli had taken this as an invitation, shifting around to curl his limbs through and around Kíli’s. The brunet had remained calm, now used to the non-existent personal boundaries between Fíli and himself. When Fíli dug his nose into Kíli’s neck, the human had simply shifted into the action, which was the right thing to do if Fíli’s happy coo was any indication.

“Fee, are you trying to court me?” Kíli had all but whispered a few minutes later, Fíli humming in lazy affirmation before drifting back off to sleep. Kíli laid in bed for a long time, trying to figure out if Fíli had heard the question or if he was just making sleepy noises as he drifted back off to dreamland.

Fíli left for the capital the next morning, so Kíli didn’t really have the time to bring the subject up again.

Shaking his head, the brunet pushes those thoughts to the back of his mind as he waits for Fíli to get back. He hears a strange growl from the backyard, padding over to his window and looking out into the garden.

Fíli’s standing in the dying sunlight, neck bent towards his chest as he lets out another frustrated growl. Kíli winces at what sounds like metal clashing against metal before he realizes Fíli’s biting himself.

“Hey, what are you doing!?” He shouts, planting his hands on the windowsill and leaning his upper body out. Fíli whips his head up to face the brunet, blue eyes wide at being caught, blood staining his muzzle. “SHIT!” Kíli shouts, stumbling backwards and toward the door, ripping it open and all but flying down the stairs.

He absently thanks the gods that his uncles are out at dinner as he throws open the kitchen door, running straight into the golden dragon and pulling Fíli’s face down.

“Ohmygod are you okay? What happened? Were you attacked? Why didn’t you _say_ something!” Kíli’s mouth is running a mile a minute, and when he sees the bloody patch on Fíli’s chest up close, he turns as white as a ghost. “You need a doctor!” He screeches, pressing his hand to the wound to try and stop the blood flow, though it’s hardly bleeding anymore.

Fíli’s taking all of this in with wide eyes, and when he smells the salt of Kíli’s tears, he bumps his head into Kíli’s and tries to step back.

“Stop moving! Don’t worry, Fee, I won’t let you die! We haven’t even talked about courting and mates yet, ohmygods,” Kíli cries, Fíli’s eyes going wide at the words. The brunet’s breathing is coming in shaky gasps, so Fíli decides it’s time to end the panic.

Pulling away, the dragon growls at Kíli when he tries to step forward, Kíli completely ignoring the empty warning and wrapping his arms around Fíli’s neck. “Please don’t die, Fee.”

Snorting into Kíli’s hair at the dramatics, Fíli coos softly, stepping away again and keeping his gaze locked with Kíli’s. The brunet reaches for him, but before he can take a step forward, Fíli’s shifting into his human form.

The wound now sits right where his heart is, and the blood on Fíli’s face is now spread across both cheeks. He spits something out into his hand, offering the bloody thing to Kíli with a grin.

Kíli’s face is a cross between disbelief and horror, eyes shifting from the bleeding dragon boy down to the slick golden scale resting in the offered palm. “For you, Kíli,” Fíli says proudly, but the grin is literally smacked off his face when Kíli slaps him.

Whipping his head back around, Fíli cries out when Kíli spins on his heel and storms back into the cottage, slamming the door behind him. The faint sound of another door slamming and the extinguishing of Kíli’s bedroom light spurs Fíli into motion, curling his fist around the scale and stumbling up the steps and into the cottage like a man on fire.

He climbs the stairs and throws Kíli’s door open, sharp eyes undaunted by the dim lighting of a single candle. He finds Kíli not on the bed, but curled in the corner, face buried in his knees. His slim shoulders shake with sobs, and when Fíli walks close and crouches down, Kíli refuses to look up.

“Kíli?”

“Go ‘way.”

“No.” Tugging at Kíli’s arms, Fíli brings him to stand, taking a hand and lacing it though his own as he leads Kíli to the bathroom. The brunet follows, head down and with slow, shuffling steps, though Fíli remains ever patient. When they make it to the bathroom, Fíli scoops his hand into the water and splashes his face, the water dripping down his neck and chest onto the floor. Kíli huffs, grabbing an old towel and helping Fíli wash the blood off, dropping it to the floor and soaking the mess up.

They head back into Kíli’s bedroom, and before the teen can pull away towards the bed, Fíli’s got a tight hold on his arm, keeping him in place.

“Kíli? Kíli is mad,” he states, ducking his head to try and look through the curtain of dark hair blocking his view. Kíli nods slowly, lifting his head to lock red-rimmed eyes with Fíli’s bright blue.

“Why would you do that?” Kíli croaks, eyes shifting down to the small patch of red, irritated skin over Fíli’s heart. The blond looks down as well, shrugging his shoulders and looking back up at Kíli.

“For Kíli. A present for you,” he says, lifting his hand and offering the now clean scale to the brunet. Kíli stares at it, reaching out to run a shaking finger over the smooth surface. To his surprise, it’s warm, as if Fíli’s abnormal body temperature is still keeping it warm somehow. Fíli’s free hand grabs Kíli’s, transferring the shining scale into Kíli’s palm.

“I don’t…why would you hurt yourself?” Comes the whisper, watery eyes connecting with solid blue, Fíli smiling softly at the question.

“This scale was closest to my heart, and I give it to you,” Fíli tries to explain, stumbling back when Kíli throws his arms around the blond’s neck, smashing their lips together in a sloppy kiss. Fíli presses back enthusiastically, leading them towards Kíli’s bed and falling back with Kíli on top of him.

“You idiot! Don’t you ever hurt yourself to give me a present!” Kíli scolds, leaning back and trying to glare at the blond. Fíli’s all grins though, pulling Kíli down into another chaste kiss.

“Kíli accept?”

“Of course I do! But don’t you ever do that again, do you hear me?” Kíli shouts, chest heaving as he continues to glare at the blond, Fíli’s grin splitting his face. He nods feverously, pulling Kíli down so they’re lying side by side. Snuggling impossibly closer, Fíli watches as Kíli brings the scale up, thumb rubbing the warm, shiny surface.

“How’s it so warm?”

“Magic,” Fíli shrugs, throwing his arm across Kíli’s chest and holding him tight. “Warm like me.”

“Do you think it’ll stay warm? Even when you leave?” Kíli wonders, turning it over and frowning when Fíli reaches up to pluck it from his hand. Pressing a kiss to it, Fíli hands it back, snuggling his head into Kíli’s side.

“Yep,” he says simply, hiding his laugh in Kíli’s tunic. The brunet’s even more confused now, but he brings his hand down and holds the scale close to his chest.

“I think I’ll put it on a chain, so I can wear it around my neck.”

“Rest over your heart, so we’re connected,” Fíli hums, bringing his hand up to rest over Kíli’s. “Sleep now, shhh.”

Kíli lets out a snort, turning to face Fíli and slowly moving to tangle their legs, slotting his between the gap Fíli makes. They lay in the comfortable warmth, Kíli whispering softly after a long while. “I’m going to miss you a lot, Fee.”

“Miss you too,” Fíli mumbles, pressing a kiss to Kíli’s cheek and drifting off to sleep, Kíli not far behind.

 

* * *

  

The Royale party leaves before the sun rises, though neither Fíli nor Kíli sleeps a wink the night before. They lay wrapped together in Kíli’s bed, telling stories and sharing chaste kisses. Fíli’s scale hangs from a chain under Kíli’s tunic, the brunet vowing to never take it off.

Fíli’s also wearing the beads Kíli’s made him, shining proudly in at the bottom of the braids Kíli’s weaved into his hair. Fíli had nearly cracked Kíli’s ribs when the brunet handed them over, his hugging skills and awareness of his strength still needing a bit of work.

All too soon the sunrise nears, Dís’ inevitable knock coming on the front door and making Kíli cringe. She comes in for tea as Bilbo fusses over giving them his fresh scones, Fíli and Kíli waiting until the last possible second before coming downstairs. His uncles watch him with sad smiles, but Kíli prides himself on never letting a tear escape.

He’s already cried them all during the night with Fíli.

When they head outside to leave, Kíli’s in awe as he takes in the dragons all down the road and in the sky, at least fifty of them visible. Orcrist and Sting are sniffing around the ones closest, Bilbo flushing and scolding them for being so nosy.

Fíli’s the last to change into his dragon form, pressing a heated kiss to Kíli’s lips before leaning to whisper in Kíli’s ear. “I _will_ come back for you, never doubt me.”

“I won’t. I'll...I’ll be waiting,” Kíli replies, hugging Fíli tightly before stepping back. The blond shifts and molds into his other form, butting his head into Kíli’s stomach and licking a stripe up his neck. Kíli laughs, scratching beneath Fíli’s chin one last time before the golden dragon gets hustled away by his mother.

As they prepare to take off, Bilbo comes up beside Kíli and wraps an arm around his shoulder, Kíli biting his lip to stop himself from crying. The dragons take off one by one in an impressive sight, Fíli turning to look at Kíli one last time before he follows after his mother.

Once all the dragons are in the sky and heading north, Kíli’s tears refuse to be held back, the brunet letting out a sob and bringing his arm up to cover his eyes. Orcrist buts up against his other side, a comforting warmth so like that of Fíli’s.

“There, there, he’ll be back before you know it,” Bilbo says quietly, his words followed by a haunting wail coming from the mass of dragons flying away. Kíli sobs openly at the sound, turning into Bilbo and burying his face and hands in the soft fabric of his shirt.

“It hurts, Bilbo,” Kíli cries, and when Thorin wraps his arms around them both, Kíli can’t help but try and stifle his cries.

“You must be strong now, Kíli. Have faith in Fíli and he will return.”

Nodding slowly, Kíli allows himself to be led back into the cottage, curling up in the armchair and letting the rest of his tears out quietly as Orcrist and Sting lay around his chair keeping guard.

 

* * *

 


	5. Hope and Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli receives a letter and clings to new hope as trouble brews in Erebor.

 

* * *

The first few months after Fíli leaves, Kíli seems to visibly shut down. He goes through his day on autopilot, doing his chores quietly and going to lessons without complaint. He doesn't visit Bofur’s shop as much as he used to, though when he does, a shadow of his previous smile shines through when he plays with the growing dragons.

The first time he’d entered the shop after Fíli left, the dragons had squeaked excitedly and ran to the back door, eager to go play in the yard with Fíli as they had before. Kíli’s face crumpled with pain, and he isn’t sure if it was Bofur or Bifur who made the dragons understand that Fíli wouldn't be coming for a while.

Kíli spends his free time at the rock outcrop, watching the valley with red-rimmed eyes. He wears the scale Fíli gave him around his neck on a chain, smiling softly when he feels the dragon’s warmth. Kíli knows he’s being a complete baby, but allows himself the sadness when he’s alone. He also knows his uncles are worried, and after a few weeks, Kíli promises himself to try harder to live normally.

It’s amazing how just a few months with Fíli have impacted his life so greatly.

Bilbo enlists his help with inventory at the shop, and Kíli takes to the distraction willingly. Bilbo teaches him all about the different types of tea, how to brew and steep the perfect cup just in case he may need to impress someone one day.

Kíli’s first few attempts are disastrous, and the look on Bilbo’s face when he sips the cup of chamomile has Kíli laughing an honest laugh.

At the six-month mark, Kíli gets his first contact from the blond prince. He’s at the shop with Bilbo when Ori, one of the younger village boys, bursts into the shop with excited eyes. Bilbo startles from the back room and Kíli steps closer to the usually shy boy with a worried look.

“What’s the matter, Ori? Is everything okay?”

“You’ve got a letter!” The boy wheezes, taking the offered cup of water from Bilbo and drinking it quickly. He digs around in his satchel, an embarrassed look passing over his face as Kíli and Bilbo watch him with raised brows. “I’m supposed to deliver the mail to the other side of town first, but when this came I just _had_ to bring it to you right away!”

Kíli’s eyes widen at the thick crème envelope, golden lettering embossed on the front and a dark wax seal at the back. “It’s _royal_ stationary,” Ori points out helpfully, rocking back on his feet and grinning at the stunned expression on Kíli’s face.

Shifting his eyes up to Bilbo, the curly haired man reaches a hand out and tousles Kíli’s dark hair affectionately. “Go on home then, see what Fíli has to say,” Bilbo smiles, his chuckles following Kíli as he races out of the shop and towards the cottage, letter clutched tightly in his hand.

Throwing the door open, Kíli zooms upstairs past his uncle and slams his door, walking over to the bed and flopping down onto his back. Lifting the envelope above his head, Kíli grins and places a kiss to the golden letters before carefully popping the seal.

A thick sheet of folded parchment is inside, along with a few thinner sheets that look to have been from a book. Kíli removes them as if they’ll turn to ash if he’s too hasty, flattening them carefully before looking towards the top. He smiles at the sight of his own name, a strange set of loopy symbols next to it.

_Kíli,_

_I miss you. Mother makes me take lessons in writing, I think I am doing good. The ink smells strange, I do not like it. How are you?_

_Erebor is great to be home, but I miss Kíli a lot. Training is very long and I want to fly. I start to work in the forge soon, I will make you something. Mother tells the elders I do not need a lot of human studies, I will learn from you. She argues with them, sometimes I cannot hear._

_I send you pages from my book, Balin will be mad. You can learn too! I send you part about Royale Dragons, I know you like them. I want to come back._

_I miss you._

_Fíli._

Kíli slaps a hand over his mouth when he sees the drawing at the bottom. His eyes fill with tears of laughter at the picture, two humanish figures, one blond and the other brunet, and a dragon that Kíli guesses is supposed to be Fíli himself. The blond has even used colored inks, and Kíli runs his fingers over the figures Fíli has painstakingly scratched onto the page.

Hugging the parchment to his chest, Kíli throws an arm over his eyes and tries to will his tears away. He’s far too old to be crying, but knowing Fíli misses him loosens the knot around his heart. Setting the page aside gently, Kíli picks up the book pages and grins at the drawings.

The words are in the strange loopy language, but Fíli has taken the time to translate some of the passages. There are detailed drawings on both pages, and Kíli laughs when he sees Fíli has colored one of the dragons in gold.

The second page is in English, Kíli reading everything from top to bottom, memorizing even the page numbers. He reads about the trials all Royale dragons go through to prove their majority, and there are even a few lines at the bottom about Royale dragons having partners. Kíli nearly chokes on his spit when he reads there have only ever been two Royales who found partners, Fíli’s small smiley face next to the line filling him with hope.

Re-reading everything a third time, Kíli jumps at a knock on his door, dropping the letter onto the floor and scrambling down to retrieve it. He calls for his uncle (he assumes) to enter and puts the pages back in order, looking up at Thorin as he steps into the room.

“What’s got you in such a rush?” Thorin asks, raising a brow at the pages Kíli’s clutching tightly.

“I got a letter from Fee today,” Kíli grins, unable to help himself from smiling. Thorin gives his nephew a smile of his own, walking over to sit on the edge of Kíli’s bed. Tousling the shaggy brunet hair, Thorin sits back and waits for Kíli to elaborate.

“He wants to come back, and he says the training is really long.” Kíli informs his uncle, reading the letter over before handing it up carefully. Thorin takes it gingerly, reading through the messy scrawl and chuckling at the sketches at the bottom.

“He’s quite the artist,” he muses, handing the letter back to Kíli and looking over his shoulder at the book pages. “That’ll be some old version of Dragonese,” he points to the loopy scrawl, squinting at the translations next it. “Bilbo would love to take a look at that.”

“I’ll show him when he gets home,” Kíli promises, leaning against his uncle’s leg and sighing happily. “Do you need help down at the forge?”

“Mhmm, there’s a few leather pieces that need carving, do you feel up to it?”

“Yeah, I can do it,” Kíli nods, ambling to his feet and placing the letter on his desk. Thorin places a heavy hand on Kíli’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze before heading back downstairs. Kíli gives the letter one last grin before following his uncle, heart much lighter than it’s been in months.

  

 

* * *

 

Kíli rereads through the Royale Dragon book Dís gave him a hundred times, pouring over the not-so-descript details and taking everything in. There’s a bit about what Fíli has to go through for his trials, and a few lines at the back that’s been hastily scribbled in with a quill and ink.

_Fíli’s not the only one who will have to go through trials. You both will be tried and tested; they’ll try and tear you apart._

As if Kíli needed any more doubt in his life.

He ignores the seed of negativity that threatens to spring up, shoving the book under his bed and trying to forget about it. Clasping his hand around the golden scale at his chest, Kíli squeezes it tightly and lets out a breath.

“No more moping,” he tells himself, standing from the bed and moving across his room towards the dresser. Throwing on a new set of clothes Kíli heads downstairs, scratching Sting under his chin as he passes.

“Uncle Bilbooo!” Kíli singsongs, swinging into the kitchen and snagging a biscuit from the bowl on the table. Bilbo’s nowhere to be seen, so Kíli stuffs another biscuit into his pocket before heading outside and towards the garden.

“Uncle Bilbo? Are you out here?”

“Kíli? Where are you—oh! What are you up to today?”

“Nothing yet, but I think I’ll go to town and see if there’s anything for me to do at the forge.” Kíli says, stuffing the rest of his first biscuit into his mouth and grinning at his uncle.

“I’ve failed you with basic manners,” Bilbo says flatly, going back to pulling the plants up in the garden. Kíli watches with a smile, rolling up his sleeves and leaning down to dig his hands into the earth and help.

“What do I pull?” Kíli asks, Bilbo laughing and nudging his shoulder.

“Everything, it’s all got to go.”

“What, really?” Kíli balks, knowing how much Bilbo loves his garden.

“Yes, Kíli, winter is coming and we have to get everything ready for spring. I swear, the first warm day and we’re going to be back out here planting!”

Kíli laughs at that, helping his adoptive uncle pull up his prized plants. They work for a few hours, Bilbo telling stories from his youth that make them both laugh. Sting wanders out when they’re almost finished, Bilbo scolding him for coming so late in the game and Kíli giggling at the dragon’s cheeky grin.

“I swear all he wants to do is _eat_ the tomatoes, not help take care of them!”

“He’s like Uncle Thorin, then!” Kíli points out, Bilbo throwing his hands up in the air and agreeing instantly.

“Yes! Exactly! Do you ever see your uncle tending to the garden to make sure we have food? No! Or go to the market willingly to pick out the right vegetables? No!”

Kíli chuckles into his dirty hands, moving away to watch Bilbo mutter quietly to himself. “Uncle Bilbo?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry to keep you here for so long, Kíli. Run along, now.”

“I’ll be back later, okay? I’m going to head to the forge and maybe take a walk in the woods.”

“Sure thing, sure thing.”

Kíli smiles at the curly haired man, turning and heading to the front of the house. He takes off down the road, mind drifting to Fíli as he kicks at loose rocks.

He makes it to the market without hassle, walking up to the forge and tossing his extra biscuit to Orcrist, who sits in the doorway.

“You and Uncle Thorin better watch out when you head home, Bilbo’s on a tomato rampage,” Kíli grins, Orcrist giving him a confused look before following the brunet inside.

  

* * *

 

Fíli pants, bringing his swords up to cross over his head just in time to avoid the axe coming quickly towards him.

“Good, but you need to be faster,” the large man grunts, pulling the axe back and shouldering it. “You’re done for now.”

Fíli shoves his swords into the ground before collapsing, bringing a hand up to wipe the sweat on his forehead. His chest heaves, and with little concentration, he’s back in his dragon form lying in the dirt.

“Go wash up, you stink!” Dwalin’s voice shouts at him, Fíli huffing and rolling to his feet. He heads out of the large room and down the hallway, slipping into one of the caverns with a large underwater bathing spring. He dips inside the cool water, changing again and swimming back up to the surface. He swims around for a few minutes, heading to the ledge and grabbing one of the soaps.

Fíli finishes his bath quickly, grabbing a pair of white shorts from one of the built in cubbies and stepping into them. He pulls his hair back into a ponytail, the beads Kíli made him clinking together and making the prince grin.

Heading out of the cavern and down the hall, Fíli pushes the door to main hall open and heads inside. His mother is sitting at the giant table, arguing with a few of the council elders.

“Doing that won’t change anything! I’ve told you, he’s already found—hello Fíli.” Dís cuts herself off, never taking her eyes from the two men standing across.

“Mother. Dain, Smaug.”

“Prince Fíli,” Smaug greets, though there’s no warmth in his smile. Fíli watches them with a blank look, the two excusing themselves a few moments later and taking their leave. Once they pass the doorway, Fíli deflates, looking to his mother with a worried look.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, just two insufferable rock heads trying to rile me up.” Dís sighs, motioning Fíli forward and looking him over. “I’m not seeing as many cuts as usual, are you getting better?”

“Mama please, you wound me,” Fíli laughs, using the nickname for his mother he’d picked up from Kíli. “Really, though, what were Smaug and Dain talking about?”

“Your tests and progress, the coming of age ceremony, and…Kíli.”

“Kíli? What’s Kíli got to do with them?” Fíli’s attention is now fully on his mother, sharp eyes narrowed on Dís’ dark blue orbs.

“They were asking about him, about his qualifications to be your rider.”

“ _Qualifications_? What qualifications? There aren’t any, I found him and he’s mine. He accepted and everything.”

“He…what do you mean, he accepted?”

“We’re courting now, of course. I gave him the scale closest to—”

“You what?! Fíli, do you even know what that means?” Dís’ eyes are wide, mouth frozen in an ‘o’ shape.

“It means he’s mine, does it not?”

“Well yes, but—”

“He’s mine, Mama, he always has been. Ever since I found him in the forest I knew,” Fíli whispers, giving his mother a steady look. There’s a certainty about his whole being, one Dís has never seen in him before he met the brunet human. She gives Fíli a small smile, reaching up and cupping his cheek in a loving gesture.

“You know this will bring him into the trials, into danger.”

“I’ll protect him,” Fíli’s voice carries the same certainty, and Dís believes her son entirely. She gives him a nod, moving around a few papers and coming around the desk.

“You must be careful, Fíli. There are some who won’t accept Kíli and will try and separate you.”

“They can try, but he won’t be taken from me.”

“I’m glad you found him, Fíli, but remember who’s permission you will need to bring him here.” Dís says with a smile, placing a hand on Fíli’s slumped shoulder and steering him from the room and towards the kitchens.

 

* * *

 

“And your positive there’s a true bond between them, not just a passing fancy?” Smaug questions the princess, ignoring Dís’ hard stare and leaning forward in his chair.

“I am. Fíli’s already started the courting process with Kíli and they’re to be mates.”

Several of the council members gasp and murmur at this new information, and Dain’s face is so angrily red that Dís fears all his blood has gone rushing to his head.

“Mates? Is that not a bit soon?”

“Fíli has done what he deems best, and Kíli is more than worthy,” Dís points out icily, Balin giving her a nod and leaning back in his chair.

“I think we’ll be the judge of that,” Smaug points out, turning to Dís now with his complete attention. “He will bring the human here? For their trial?”

“That is Fíli’s decision to make. He’s got time yet, but I would not doubt he has a plan.”

“Ah yes, but will the boy survive this plan if the Prince cannot control himself? We have no need to explain ourselves to humans if Fíli cannot—”

“Fíli will let no harm come to his rider, this I can swear,” Dís growls, lip curling in a snarl. She knows they are baiting her and with a deep breath she sits back in her chair and glares.

“Very well, _if_ the human is brave enough to come, they both of them will be tested in a way the council sees fit. Until that time, Prince Fíli is to continue his training until he reaches majority and is crowned by the council and Princess.”

The room clears out relatively quickly, until only Dís and Balin linger. The elder places a hand on Dís’ shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “He’ll be fine, they both will.”

“Smaug plans to use the serum on Fíli when he’s with Kíli, I can feel it. It matters not to tell Fíli, he won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“Aye, I was thinking that as well. But Fíli is strong, growing every day in mind and body. There is always hope, My Lady. From what you say, his affections for the human boy seem stronger than any I’ve heard of.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Dís sighs, rolling her shoulders with the sudden itch to fly. “They’re amazingly at ease with each other, as if they can tell what the other is thinking. I’ve never seen Fíli so happy.”

“Kíli is good for him, the council will see that. The others are due back soon, your father and brother.”

“Yes, we need to prepare for their return. I think having Frerin back will brighten Fíli’s spirits a bit.” Dís smiles at the thought of her brother and his easy demeanor. Frerin would love Kíli, and Dís wonders if Thorin and Bilbo will let the brunet human leave the comforts of his home to come to theirs so easily. Shaking her head she bids Balin farewell and takes to the skies, hoping the flight will do wonders for her whirling mind.

 

* * *

 

A few nights later Fíli shoots up from his bedding chasing a dream, the piercing screams following him even into the waking world. He uncurls from the pile of blankets and pillows, looking wide-eyed around the room and trying to spot something that clearly isn’t there.

He can still hear the haunting echo of Kíli’s scream, it reverberates through his entire being and sinks into his core. There’s an ache in his heart, a deep-seated pain that he knows belongs to Kíli. The spot on his chest pulses, as if the missing scale is calling out to him.

Tearing out of the room Fíli heads for the balcony, passing a few others without truly seeing them. He gets to the balcony with seconds, looking out into the night and letting out a howling growl. The eerie wail carries over and through the mountains, and Fíli has little care about the noise he’s making if he can somehow reach Kíli with it.

Feeling another’s presence the prince turns with a snarl, completely golden eyes narrowing on the figure fast approaching. Dwalin stalks forward with little hesitation, trying to gauge Fíli’s distress and decide how to handle it.

Fíli snaps when he gets too close, Dwalin grinning as he feigns left, tackling Fíli and subduing the distraught dragon easily. Fíli howls and thrashes, but when Dís approaches without hesitation his shrieks meld into whimpers and pleas.

Dís shifts, urging Fíli to do so with a hand on his head. After a few minutes of struggling, Fíli morphs into a pile of naked skin and wild hair, tears tracking silently down his face as his body shudders and wars between sobs and the need to shift back.

“Something’s wrong!” Fíli’s eyes are still searching frantically, a gurgling growl building deep in his chest. Dís tries to gather him up in her arms but Fíli pushes away, straining towards the balcony and open air.

“Fíli, there’s nothing wrong, everything is as it should be,” Dís says softly, Fíli whining and pushing as he tries to break her hold and shift back.

“Kíli, _Kíli’s hurt_!”

“What’s going on?” Dwalin asks from beside Dís, the brunette whipping around with urgency in her voice.

“Dwalin, send a raven to Ered Luin immediately, something’s amiss. Then have Balin summoned to Fíli’s chambers,” she commands, the bald warrior nodding before taking off down the hall. Removing her outer cloak and wrapping it around Fíli, Dís ushers him back inside and keeps him close so he cannot shift forms. “Everything’s going to be okay, Fíli, I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Kíli _Kíli_ **_Kíliiii_** ,” the prince is chanting now, shifting his shaking body to unconsciously cradle his right arm to his chest. Dís leads him back to his chambers, Balin coming around the corner with a frown as he follows them inside Fíli’s rooms.

In one of the mountain’s high openings a raven takes flight in the chilly night air, flying south toward Ered Luin with the urgency the Royales command. 

* * *

 


	6. In Dreams

* * *

 

A bloodcurdling scream rips through the forest, birds taking flight from their perches and animals darting away from the haunting noise. Kíli lies on the ground, curling into himself as much as he can without jarring his hurt arm. Everything hurts; every cell in his body is throbbing with the pain that radiates from his arm. His breathing is labored, tears are streaking down his face in rivers, and all he wants to do is just make it all stop.

Two figures crash into the clearing but Kíli doesn't notice them, doesn't feel Sting curl up behind him to keep him warm or feel Orcrist trying to get him to uncurl. He lets out another scream when the dark dragon tries to get his arm in the open, Orcrist letting out a loud growl that splits the air and brings more shouting voices closer.

Kíli’s world is a haze of fog and hurt as more figures approach, the voice of his uncle slipping through the fog and pulling him back to awareness. “Kíli! Kíli, what’s happened?” Thorin is lifting him slightly, trying to get Kíli to uncurl from the tight ball that is only a phantom comfort. Kíli’s dark eyes crack open and when he tries to speak his mouth barely moves, only pained whimpers escaping his lips.

Catching his uncle’s worried look Kíli doubles his pathetic efforts to speak, everything fading to black when Thorin reaches to unfold his arm.

* * *

 

Kíli awakens to pain, an ache that spreads from his arm and travels up the side of his body. The ground feels soft beneath him and after a few moments to trying to orient himself he realizes he’s in a bed.

There’s a warmth pressing against his side and curled up at his feet, the smells of Bilbo’s lemon scones drifting through the air letting him know where he is. Cracking an eye open he winces at the light, eyes slowly adjusting to the dim room and glancing to his right.

Sting lies curled up on his side, tail coiled and resting down at the human’s feet, an eternal warmth that Kíli is oh so grateful for. The rust colored dragon seems to be sleeping and with a soft smile Kíli glances down at his arm.

It’s been covered and splinted, wrapped in fabric and encased in a bulky cast. Kíli tries to wiggle his fingers and gasps at the pain, movement from the corner of the room drawing his attention. A strange dragon is watching him from the corner, sharp eyes tracking his movements. Kíli’s breathing begins to increase; panic taking hold and making his body freeze and lock up.

The dragon lets out a crooning noise and Sting perks his head up, rubbing his nose along Kíli’s uninjured side and cooing happily. He licks at Kíli’s face and follows the line of sight, huffing at the unfamiliar dragon in an unfriendly manner.

“Kíli?” Bilbo pushes the door open and peeks in, a relieved smile lighting his face when he notices that the young brunet has woken up. “Thank the gods you’re awake!”

“Uncle Bilbo? What happened?”

“We were hoping you could tell us that! No need to worry about it now, the soup’s almost done and you must be hungry.” Bilbo frets about him, pushing Sting’s face away and checking Kíli’s cast. He helps the younger to sit up, propping him back against the headboard and helping Kíli drink from the glass of water he’s gotten from the bedside table.

“Wha…how long have I been out?” Kíli wonders, wiping his mouth with his good hand before petting a pouting Sting, eyes straying to the strange dragon watching the exchange.

“Four days now, I’m afraid. You were in and out of consciousness for small moments but nothing like you are now.” Bilbo shakes his head, Kíli’s jaw dropping at the answer. He tries to remember anything after his fall but Bilbo just smoothes the blankets out, running a hand through Kíli’s hair as if to reassure himself the teen is okay.

“W-who’s that?” Kíli nods to the dragon behind Bilbo, the other turning and frowning at the dragon standing alert.

“We’re not so sure, really. He arrived the day after the letter and has refused to move from the room since.”

“Letter?” Kíli asks hopefully, wiggling in his bed and making Bilbo fuss all over again when he bumps his bad arm.

“Ah yes, a letter from Erebor arrived late the day after you took your fall,” rummaging through the drawer at the bedside table Bilbo pulls it out, handing it to the eager teen. “Seems like somehow Fíli knew something had happened to you and they sent word asking about your health.”

“He…is Fíli okay?” Worry fills Kíli’s voice and Bilbo plucks the letter from him, ignoring the protests.

“It didn’t say, but we sent word back that you had broken your arm but were recovering so I assume—“

“You’ve sent it back already!?” Kíli looks crestfallen at the news, the fingers of his good hand clenching tightly in the blankets. His one chance to be able to send Fíli a letter back and he had been too late.

“It was urgent, I’m sorry, Kíli.” Bilbo says softly, standing and walking to the door. “I’ll get you some soup, okay? We can talk more when Thorin gets back.”

The brunet just nods, disheartened, before looking up at the dark dragon in the corner. “You are from Erebor?” He asks quietly and to his surprise the dragon gives a nod.

“Is Fíli okay?” Kíli asks quickly, the dragon giving another nod that has Kíli smiling like an idiot. “Did he send you here?” An affirmative grunt has Kíli motioning the dragon closer, shifting his legs and pushing back against Sting to make room. Bilbo’s dragon huffs before settling down, Kíli patting the open spot on the bed and giving the dragon an inviting smile.

“Come on up,” Kíli gestures to the spot when the dragon remains on the bedside. “Please!” Heaving a great sigh the dragon jumps onto the bed, settling next to Kíli and watching him as if he’s going to make some kind of sudden movement.

“Thanks for coming, I really appreciate it,” Kíli says quietly, hesitantly reaching out and brushing his hand along the dark green scales. His open shirt shifts with the movement, the dragon’s eyes catching on the shining golden scale hanging from his neck.

“If I tell you some things, will you please tell them to Fíli?” The voice is almost a whisper but it sounds too loud in the silent room. Kíli can hear Bilbo banging around bowls and pans in the kitchen and Sting’s snores are soft behind him, his heart fluttering happily when the dragon nods and movies to lie down, burying his nose under Kíli’s injured hand in not-so-subtle permission to be touched.

“I just want him to know that I’m okay and he doesn't have to worry. He should focus on his training and trials because I know they’re important. Just…just let him know that I miss him, okay?” Kíli finishes and settles back into the bed, eyes closing tiredly. The scale against his chest is warm and thrumming with life, lulling the healing brunet to an easy sleep before Bilbo can return with the soup.

* * *

 

“You must keep it on for at least a month, and then you’ll have a soft cast and sling to replace it,” Thorin says sternly, Kíli shifting anxiously from foot to foot as he awaits permission to leave. It’s been a week since he’d woken up and it was the first time he was allowed out of the house.

“I understand, Uncle, I’ll be careful,” Kíli promises, Thorin snorting and shaking his head. “I will!”

“You’d better be careful, I’m not going to be the one to explain why you’re in a full body cast to Fíli when he returns.” Thorin laughs, ruffling Kíli’s dark hair and nodding to him. Kíli lets out a whoop, giving his uncle a one armed hug before taking off down the path.

He veers into the woods as soon as he’s out of sight, heading towards the rock outcrop with a grin. The dragon Fíli had sent left just a few days ago and Kíli can’t keep the grin off of his face when he thinks about Fíli getting the message he’d sent.

Kíli unconsciously slows when he passes the clearing where he took his fall, frowning to himself at the memory. The day is a bit hazy in his mind but he remembers reaching for something in the tree. He can remember how his stomached dropped when he slipped off the branch, but after that it was only pain. Oin had told him he had used his arm to break the fall, an unconscious movement that anyone would have done, but for some reason Kíli feels extra embarrassed.

How was he supposed to be partners with the dragon Prince of Erebor if he was childish enough to fall out of a tree?

Shaking his head Kíli steps out onto the cliff and smiles, happy to be allowed out of the stuffy house and away from Bilbo’s mothering. Kíli was appreciative for the help and care, but even Sting and Orcrist were trying to keep Bilbo at bay these past few days, going so far as to steal his cooking utensils and hiding them throughout the house to keep him busy.

Reaching a hand up Kíli grabs the scale around his neck, squeezing the golden warmth and looking towards the north. Little by little his time apart from Fíli was passing by, each day bringing them closer and closer to a reunion Kíli has imagined over a hundred different ways.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little filler-ish chapter to tide you over, sorry it's so late! 
> 
> I think maybe the next chapter should be the reunion chapter? Or will that time skip be too long? ;)


	7. The World Is Ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaand an update~! I hope this doesn't disappoint you-a lot of things happen but there's not much action. 
> 
> No beta today...I forgot to send this to the amazing Legolaslover1 and I promised an update so...you'll have to suffer my mistakes and grammar XD

You should check out [this](http://liddie0.tumblr.com/post/71336366127) wonderful piece of art that the ever amazing **Kyuubikun** and **LittlestSecret** have done inspired by this story! I cry a little bit every time I see it :D  

 

* * *

Fíli completes his academic training with little fanfare, giving him more time to devote to the physical trials. He knows his mother is worried about bringing Kíli to the mountain, which means there must be something dangerous that lies ahead for the both of them. It most likely has to do with the serum, Fíli thinks, because that is the most dangerous part of coming into majority. Adding Kíli to the mix isn’t going to make things any easier for the blond, that’s for sure, but Fíli decides to take this one step at a time.

He looks up when Balin enters the study, the elder handing over a few sheets of paper with hastily written scribbles lining the pages. “Roaik’s report from his visit to Ered Luin,” he says with a small smile, leaving when Fíli nods his thanks with a wave of his hand. Before he can read anything there’s a commotion in the doorway once more, his Uncle Frerin popping around the door with a grin.

“Fíli! Look how big you’ve gotten since I saw you last!” The brunet laughs, stepping into the room and meeting Fíli halfway with a hug.

“Uncle! Did you and Grandfather just get back?” Fíli says with a grin, stepping back and automatically checking the older dragon for any wounds.

“We did, I think the King is heading to the council chambers as we speak,” Frerin informs, brow rising when Fíli winces at the words. “Oh, has something happened while we were gone?”

“Nothing much,” Fíli’s eyes skirt to the side, his uncle moving to step in his line of vision once more.

“Fíli?”

“I may have…found a mate,” Fíli blurts quietly, rubbing at the back of his neck before rolling his shoulders. The action is almost unconscious and Fíli finds himself doing it more often in his other form, as if he’s missing a weight that should be resting comfortably between his wings.

“You—what?! When? Who is she and why isn’t she here?”

“Um well, _he’s_ in Ered Luin,” lowering his voice Fíli moves to sit on the table he was just sitting at, looking up through messy hair and giving his uncle a hopeful look.

“He is?” Frerin gapes, quickly pulling himself together when his nephew’s face falls.

“It matters not what gender he is, Kíli’s mine and by now Smaug and Dain will have told Grandfather all about him and he’ll be so displeased—“

“Fíli, hey,” Frerin reaches over and puts a hand on Fíli’s shoulder, shaking the mumbling blond. “This is wonderful news to come home to, you’ve found your bonded! Tell me more about him!”

“He’s a few years younger than I am and he’s perfect, Uncle. He’s smart, loyal, resourceful and he always tries to make others happy.” Fíli’s smiling as he thinks about Kíli, all dark hair and cheeky smiles. “I found him tied to a tree when we were passing through and he just…called to me.”

“And you’ll bring him here? For the bonded trials?”

“Yes, when I pass my rights I will go on the tour with mother to take part in the celebrations. Afterwards I hope to visit him and bring him back with me,” Fíli confesses, wringing his hands nervously, the action catching his uncle’s attention.

“You’re worried.”

“Smaug plans to use the serum during the bonding trials, I know it,” there’s a spark of fear in Fíli’s voice that Frerin isn’t used to, reminding him just how young Fíli is and the dangers he will come to face. “If I can retain no rational thought and am only a mindless beast…I just _can’t_ harm Kíli, Uncle, it would destroy me.”

The last part is a whisper and Frerin realizes at that moment how much this human boy means to Fíli. Pulling the younger up Frerin wraps strong arms around the prince, running a hand through tangled hair feeling shaking hands clasp his tunic. “You won’t harm him, Fíli, he’s much too precious to you.”

“But what if—“

“Hush, come fly with me and we will visit Thrain after you’ve cleared your head.” Frerin suggests, tugging Fíli out the doorway and towards the nearest balcony. Fíli’s still a bit hesitant, though when they take flight it’s as if all his worries are left behind on the ground. The two Royale dragons soar up high into the night sky, disappearing quickly into the low hanging clouds.

* * *

 

“My King, it is good to see you back safely,” Fíli says strongly, down on one knee with his head bowed in submission while he awaits his grandfather’s approval of the greeting.

“Rise, Grandson, and let me look at you.” Thrain commands, deep blue eyes raking over Fíli’s grown form and giving the boy a small smile. Fíli visibly relaxes when he sees it, still holding himself strongly until the king waves away the formalities in front of the small council. “You’ve grown much, Fíli, are you near completion of your training and ready to take your rights?”

“I am, my Lord.” Fíli nods, Frerin making faces at him from behind the king’s chair. Fíli grins when his mother elbows her brother sharply, a pained whine causing some of the council members to look up.

“I wish to request your permission for something, King Thrain,” Fíli says in his strongest voice, his mother and Frerin nodding in encouragement as they take seats beside the king.

“Go on.”

Sucking in a deep breath Fíli steels himself, looking his grandfather and king in the eye. “I wish to bring my bonded and mate to Erebor and take the bonding trials after I complete my rights.”

The council goes completely still, the only sounds coming from the accelerated heartbeats of each dragon present. Fíli keeps himself focused, watching his grandfather’s face for any kind of hint as to what his decision will be.

The king is well versed in politics and remains hard as stone, Fíli glancing around the table and breathing sharply when he sees the smug smile on Smaug’s face. If the king denies him this approval Kíli will be left behind in Ered Luin, something Fíli will fight until his last breath passes.

“Your mate?” Thrain states calmly, the tilt of his eyebrow giving Fíli a swell of hope.

“I have found my mate in Ered Luin and wish to make the bonding official before all of Erebor.” The words seem to ring through the room and thinking of Kíli seems to curb the blond’s trepidation. He will do anything for Kíli, even if it means taking the serum that will alter his mind and fighting a hundred of Dwalin’s best men if he has to.

“You are sure about this? What you propose is a serious matter, Fíli, not for some passing fancy with a human who has caught your eye.”

Fíli’s head whips up and his body ripples with unease, skin itching to melt into golden scales. “I understand this, my King, and would not propose it if I didn't feel this love in the deepest parts of my heart. Kíli is my mate and I will fight anything and everything that tries to separate us.”

With the last part of his bold statement Fíli’s eyes flick to Smaug, the smile slowly slipping off the wiry dragon’s face. Thrain nods his head in understanding, motioning Fíli to step up to his chair. The blond does as asked, taking a knee beside his grandfather’s chair and waiting the verdict.

“With this council as my witness I hereby grant Fíli, son of Dís, permission to bring his human to Erebor and take the bonded trials.” The voice booms throughout the room and Fíli sags in relief, unable to keep his smile hidden as he raises his head to his grandfather and king.

“My Liege is very generous, I thank you for the both of us.” Fíli says before standing, returning to his seat on the side and glancing towards his mother. Dís has tears in the corners of her eyes and she’s smiling so wide Fíli can count her teeth. Frerin gives him two thumbs up, something he picked up long ago in a human village, and smiles, their encouragement filling the young prince and giving him a renewed hope.

The council is soon dismissed and when it’s only Balin and Fíli’s immediate family left, the blond bounds over and sweeps his mother up in a hug. “Mama, I can bring Kíli here!” Dís laughs at the enthusiasm, hugging Fíli close and smoothing back his wild hair.

“I heard, as did the entire council,” she grins, laughing when Fíli gives his grandfather a tight hug of his own.

“Thank you, Grandfather,” Fíli whispers, pulling back only to be swept in a bone crushing hug from Frerin.

“Do not thank me yet, Fíli, though I look forward to seeing just who this human is,” Thrain chuckles at the younger’s’ energy. “When will you take your rights?”

Turning bright blue eyes to his family Fíli lets out another grin before answering. “Dwalin’s just told me this morning that I’m ready to complete the ceremony, I just need to have the King’s audience to make it official.”

“Fíli that’s wonderful! And ahead of schedule, too!” Dís says happily, giving a tiny nod to Balin, who shuffles his papers together and bids the happy family a farewell.

“I look forward to watching the completion of your ceremony, my Prince.” He says before ducking out, Frerin shooting a questioning look to Dís as Fíli begins asking his grandfather about his journey.

“Balin’s going to send a letter to Kíli’s guardians asking them to bring the boy to the capital when Fíli’s presented to the humans,” Dís whispers so softly Frerin barely hears, his blue eyes widening at the news. Dís is all smiles and grins, the both of them looking at Fíli as he listens to Thrain with rapt attention.

“I am happy for him, this boy seems to have done wonders for Fíli.” Frerin says quietly, slinging an arm around Dís’ shoulder and pulling her close.

“Oh you should see the two of them together, brother. It’s as if you cannot tell where dragon ends and human begins.”

“And that kind of bond will only strengthen with time,” Frerin nods, a dark look passing his face at a sudden thought. “Fíli knows Smaug will use the serum.”

“Yes, Fíli will have to be on his guard while Kíli’s here. There are some who will not take his arrival well.”

“I will help watch out for the boy, as will most everyone we know.” Frerin swears, grinning when Fíli glances at them with excited eyes. “Fíli is our most precious treasure and seeing him genuinely happy is more than we could have ever ask for.”

“Agreed,” Dís says quietly, leaning into her brother and watching Fíli tell the king all about his time in Ered Luin.

* * *

 

“ACHOO!”

Kíli wipes his nose on his sleeve, looking around suddenly as if Bilbo will come bursting through the bushes and start nagging about not carrying around a handkerchief. After a few moments of silence he deems himself in the clear, notching back an arrow and barely wincing at the pull of his once injured arm.

Refocusing his concentration he lets the arrow fly, grinning when it hits just outside of the red center target. He grips the bow tighter before shouldering it, walking to the dartboard to begin gathering his arrows. The sky is a brilliant blue overhead and Kíli imagines the warm air rushing over his skin as he drifts above the clouds with Fíli.

He finds himself thinking more and more about the dragon prince as time passes, and in more ways that just longing. Kíli blushes as he thinks of the few times he’d woken from _dreams_ of Fíli, pajama bottoms either uncomfortably tight or in need of a change. “It’s natural,” Bilbo assured when Kíli had stuttered around the topic, though the brunet wasn’t quite sure if it was natural to think about one’s dragon like that. Well, not in _dragon form_ , of course, but Kíli was still hesitant to discuss anything further.

Kíli almost can’t help thinking about Fíli that way, especially when he thinks of Fíli’s bright, catlike eyes smiling at him as he runs naked through the house to avoid Bilbo. Or when Kíli gets out of the bath and Fíli’s curled up on his bed, naked and reaching an inviting hand out to the freshly washed human. Or every time Kíli thinks of the little kisses Fíli would press into his skin or to his lips, that searing heat that rushed through Kíli that he now understands.

He’s fallen in love with the Royale dragon prince of Erebor, his best friend and companion for life.

Stuffing the arrows into his quiver Kíli starts off towards home, quickening his pace when his stomach begins to grumble. He takes the well-worn path through the forest, stopping by the rock outcrop and glancing out at the vast valley before him.

“I miss you, Fíli!” Kíli shouts into the wind, giving the golden scale around his neck a quick squeeze before turning towards home. Orcrist intercepts him as he nears the edge of the road, nipping at Kíli’s legs and making the teen laugh.

“Okay, okay—I’m going!” Kíli yells, shoving the dark dragon and sprinting down the road. He laughs when a warm nose presses into his back, pushing the cottage door open and inhaling the smell of freshly baked bread. “Uncle Thorin, call your hound off!”

Orcrist growls playfully but before he can launch himself at the human Sting comes barreling into the room, bumping into Kíli and toppling him onto his bottom as he tries to kick off his boots. “Sting!” The brunet winces and scrabbles to his feet, swiping at the rust colored dragon and almost catching him around the neck.

“What is going on in here?!” Bilbo shouts, two dragons and one human freezing and turning guilty eyes to the shorter man. Pushing Sting with a grin Kíli kicks off his boots, quickly lining them up at the door while Bilbo watches him like a hawk.

“Those _beasts_ attacked me, I was only trying to defended myself!”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve done some antagonizing of your own, Kíli, don’t act like I don’t know you,” Bilbo pointing his wooden spoon at Kíli with narrowed eyes. “Now get upstairs and wash up, dinner’s almost ready and I won’t have you looking like a warg at the table.”

With a nod Kíli heads upstairs, turning back to stick his tongue out at the two dragons before running up the rest of the way before they can reach him again, his laugh echoing off the walls.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME NOTES:
> 
> *Roaik is the name I've given the dragon Fíli sent to check up on Kíli...we will see more of him later on~
> 
> **I added the bit with Kíli as a last minute decision - I want to show that Fíli's affections aren't one-sided and Kíli's feelings for him are growing stronger each and every day. 
> 
> ***the serum they're talking about is something all Erebor dragons must take if they go through bonded trails. It clears any rational thought and leaves only the beast part until the effects wear off. Usually the dragon takes it and then has to fight something/someone stronger than themselves and come out victorious...but with the boys case Fíli is worried they'll put Kíli in with his beast and he won't be able to control himself.
> 
>  
> 
> The reunion chapter's next! Yay for the boys being back together :)
> 
> liddie0.tumblr.com


	8. A Coronal Of Silver And Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunion chapterrrrrrrr~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this chapter that's been kicking my butt for weeks! 
> 
> Thanks to legolaslover1 for the beta and listening to my crazy ideas!

* * *

**_LOOK @_@  Wonderful people have drawn fanart for this story ~ thank you again omg I love them!!_ **

**[Be-the-lights](http://be-the-lights.tumblr.com/) ** has drawn [this](http://be-the-lights.tumblr.com/post/72293483290/so-this-is-for-age-of-dragons-by-liddie-its) amazing piece of art of adorable boys being sweet~ 

[ **Werecakes**](http://werecakes.tumblr.com/) has drawn [this](http://werecakes.tumblr.com/post/71942501497/liddie0-werecakes-yeah-its-as-done-as-its) amazing naked!Fíli & Kíli from Chapter 1 and [this](http://werecakes.tumblr.com/post/72182144920/dragon-fili-for-liddie-from-her-story-age-of) wonderful picture of dragon!Fíli~

 

* * *

 

Turning his face toward the sun, Kíli closes his eyes and smiles, feeling the golden rays warm his skin. He shifts the bag of groceries on his back and nods to the expansive valley, spinning on his heel to set off through the woods. Before he can pass into the trees a laugh has him freezing in place, Drigo and Derno stepping into his path.

“Well, well, well, look who it is! The dragonless wonder is without a dragon once again!” Drigo sneers and takes a step forward, his brother following close behind.

“I have a dragon!” Kíli only takes one step back before steeling himself and pulling his best glare. “He’s just not here right now!”

“I heard he’s gone back to Erebor to find a rider,” Derno says with bite, the words stinging even though Kíli knows they’re not true. “One fitting for a Royale dragon and not from some poor village in the middle of nowhere.”

“That bond has to be stretched pretty far, it’s only so long before it snaps!” Drigo steps up to Kíli and shoves at his shoulder, one of Kíli’s feet going back to steady himself before it pushes off and he shoves Drigo right back.

He’s not sure why he did it, maybe because of the implications of the words or just because he’s had enough. The look of shock that passes the other boy’s face is priceless even if Kíli only sees it for a second.

Before he knows it the grocery bag is on the ground and Derno has got his bad arm in a tight grip, bending it behind his back and jerking upward. Tears spring to Kíli’s eyes as he tries to swing his free arm in an attempt to hit someone or something, but before his fist can connect there’s a searing pain radiating from the left side of his face.

The boys’ laughter is ringing through the forest and Kíli hates it, hates that he’s still so weak and useless. Gritting his teeth he drops low and ignores the throbbing pain in his shoulder when Derno’s grip on his arm jerks up before letting go, Kíli swiping his leg out and catching Drigo by surprise and pushing him off his feet.

Springing up, Kíli grabs the grocery bag and takes off into the forest holding his aching arm to his chest as he dodges past trees and shrubs. He can hear Derno chasing after him but it only spurs him on, knowing he’s always been faster than any of the other village children.

Kíli runs until he reaches the outskirts of town, staying within the trees but heading back towards the cottage. He brings a shaking hand up to press against his eye, hissing when the touch on the tender skin makes pain shoot along the side of his head. “Crap, that’s gonna bruise,” the brunet mumbles, stumbling through the brush and never noticing the dark dragon coming up behind him.

“Woah!” Kíli yelps when Orcrist butts into his side with a questioning croon, budging him up alongside a tree when he catches sight of the bruise forming on the teen’s face. “Hey, quit it!”  

Orcrist snaps his jaw in agitation and Kíli sighs, leaning against the tree and letting the dragon fuss. When a forked tongue licks at his cheek Kíli finally pushes him aside, hauling the bag of groceries up with his good arm. “I’m fine, okay? Let’s just go.”

They head onto the road and Kíli begins to whistle, glancing back for any sign of the butcher’s boys. When Orcrist is looking into the woods Kíli brings his bad arm up with a wince, shoving his hand into a pocket and shaking his head.

An inaudible sigh comes from Kíli’s mouth as he glances to the clouds, the puffy white wisps taking shapes and forms that have the brunet teen smiling, despite the fact that it makes his injured cheek and eye throb. _Soon_ , he thinks, _soon I’ll be back up there._

“Ahh! Will you cut it out?!” Kíli barks when Orcrist noses his back playfully, swatting at the dragon as he keeps his nose buried in Kíli’s back. He gives Kíli a forceful push, the brunet almost toppling forward into the dirt. “I get it, okay? Time to go home!”

The dragon doesn't back off and keeps pushing until they hit the clearing, bounding off towards the cottage just up the road. Kíli mutters to himself as he follows, adjusting his grip on his groceries and rubbing at his lower back as he grumbles about pushy dragons.

He furrows his brow when he sees three horses outside the cottage, all packed with supplies. They hadn’t been expecting visitors today and the sight has Kíli jogging up to the door and heading inside.

“Uncle Thorin! Bilbo! Someone’s left horses in the road, shall I—“

Kíli cuts himself off when he sees both his uncles in their traveling cloaks, Orcrist standing beside Thorin with a smug grin. “What’s going on? Are you guys leaving?”

“ _We’re_ leaving to head to the capital,” Thorin informs, Kíli’s heart sinking at the news. The Royale dragons were supposed to be headed that way in a few days or so for a celebration, but the entire village had been hush hush about it all.

“Will you quit with that look?” Bilbo snaps at Thorin, handing Kíli his own traveling coat. “You’re coming too, Kíli.”

“I am?!”

“Yes, you are,” Thorin grins at his nephew, lifting up Kíli’s duffle bag that’s already been packed. He tosses it to the brunet and motions back toward the door. “Go strap it to Minty, we leave within the hour.”

“Wait just one minute!” Bilbo’s shrill voice stops the teen in his excitement and with a frown Kíli turns just as Bilbo steps up and cups his face. “What happened?” The older man demands, Thorin stepping close and giving Kíli an expectant look.

“Nothing, I’m fine! I promise, Uncle, it was just a bit of a misunderstanding!” Kíli tries for a reassuring approach, wanting nothing more than to go and saddle up his horse. Bilbo seems to have other plans though, tugging Kíli into the kitchen for better lighting.

“Was it those boys again, the two hellions from the butcher shop? I ought to have a word with their mother, this is—“

“Uncle Bilbo please don’t! That’ll only make things worse, I assure you.” The plea has Bilbo’s frown dipping down even deeper, his uncle’s face turning an angry red. “It doesn't hurt much and I managed to drop Drigo on his bum so can we please forget it? I need to get Minty ready!”

Fidgeting under Bilbo’s stern gaze Kíli prays he’ll let it go, throwing his arms around the shorter man when he finally nods. “Thank you, Uncle!” Kíli laughs; taking off out the back door and heading towards the small barn they’d built last year.

Pushing the door open Kíli can’t help but grin, the entire tussle with Drigo and Derno all but forgotten as he readies Minty and thinks of the possibility of catching a glimpse of Dís or maybe even Fíli at the capital.

* * *

* * *

 

Kíli ducks into the large crowd, trying his hardest to get the closest he can to the front. The capital is busier than he ever could have imagined, thousands of humans and their dragons lining up and down the streets to try and catch a glimpse of the Royale dragons that will be parading through the main roadway. Though the rows of people are about twenty deep, Kíli will do just about anything to catch a glimpse of Fíli, no matter how far away he is.

The brunet pushes carefully through the crowd, huffing when a few well-placed elbows catch him in the stomach and back. He spots a light post a few lengths to his left, squirming through the mass of onlookers and apologizing to everyone he jostles, thanks to Bilbo’s well drilled manners.

Reaching the post, Kíli gets a hold of the dark metal, hoisting himself up and climbing a few feet up the rungs, unconsciously trying to keep most of his weight off his once-injured arm. Wedging his foot in between the metal twists, Kíli makes himself comfortable and looks out above the crowd. A tree blocks some of his view, but a grin tugs at the corner of his mouth when he can see a few dragons headed their way. Kíli glances down the way they’ll head, everyone dressed in brightly colored clothes and children holding sweets and balloons.

A few giggling girls emerge from around the tree, carrying a banner that proclaims the reason for the parade, the crown prince of Erebor reaching his majority. Kíli’s eyes dart across the sea of people, the first few carts of the parade selling snacks and flowers. His stomach churns at the smell of the food, excitement and nervousness warring inside his body.

The mayor’s float comes next, the joyous man talking into a megaphone and welcoming all, dragon and human alike. There are over a thousand dragons gathered around, both in the parade and among the crowd, all the different species represented. Kíli notes that the crowd is a sea of diversity and color, a prefect melding of lights and darks, humans and dragons.

“There’s the Princess!” A voice shouts, heads turning to watch the dragons start their way down the road. Kíli strains to see around the tree, finally catching sight of Dís’ sapphire scales shining in the sun. A smile crosses Kíli’s face at the familiar sight, Dís walking with her head held high. There’s no doubt how proud she is, Kíli can see it with just one glance.

A few people move about the crowd, and when Kíli spots an opening near the road he quickly shimmies down the light post and ducks his way through sets of legs to get there. He grins at the dragons and humans he passes, cheering along with the others as a few noble dragons are introduced a bit down the way. A hush falls over the crowd suddenly and Kíli sucks in a breath when he sees who rounds the corner next.

Fíli is bigger than he was before he left, Kíli notes, internally smacking himself at his stupid observation. Of course Fíli’s bigger, it has been almost two and a half years since Kíli’s set his sight on the golden dragon prince. Fíli’s catlike eyes are a deep azure, taking in the sight of the crowd with an amused expression.

Golden scales shine in the bright sunlight, thousands of people erupting into cheers as Fíli walks towards them, letting out a happy roar. Kíli remains silent, his own cheer stuck somewhere behind his hammering heart and the sob that’s caught in his throat. The scale at his chest grows warmer with each step Fíli takes, Kíli reaching a hand up and clutching it through his tunic.

People all around him are clapping and hollering and with a sudden surge from the back, Kíli’s knocked forward and stumbles to his knees a few feet into the road. A phantom pain shoots up his arm, the brunet human wincing when he realizes he’s just stumbled into the parade route.

The cheering lulls as Kíli scrambles up to stand, a sharp whistle freezing his frantic movements. He spins around slowly, eyes widening when he sees Fíli’s sharp gaze focused on him. The dragon makes an excited sound; ignoring whatever parade protocol the others are following and bolting towards Kíli standing stupidly in the street.

With a yelp Kíli takes a few steps back as Fíli barrels towards him, but as the dragon gets closer his glittering scales meld into a flurry of dark jeweled robes and blond hair, pulled back away from his face in the pattern of braids Kíli had woven in so long ago. Kíli’s breathing hitches as he takes in the blond prince, Fíli’s shoulders broader and his arms and chest more muscled under the heavy ceremonial robes.

When Fíli gets close enough Kíli abandons his own manners and lurches forward the last few paces, throwing his arms around the smiling blond and prompting a collective gasp from the crowd. “Fíli!” He shouts, laughing loudly when Fíli lifts him up, nuzzling into his shoulder and licking a possessive stripe up Kíli’s neck. Kíli doesn't even care at this point, hugging him close and trying to keep his own rapidly beating heart from exploding.

“Kee,” the prince says lowly, his voice a bit deeper than it had been before he left. Kíli pulls back, taking in every detail of Fíli’s face and searing it into the back of his mind. A coughing comes from somewhere behind them, Kíli’s face paling when he realizes the position he’s in, in front of the entire capital no less.

Dís takes this moment to walk over to the two of them, nipping playfully at Kíli’s hair. The brunet smiles, throwing his arms around Dís’ snout and squeezing her in a hug, moving away quickly when he remembers their audience. The sapphire dragon snorts, chirping something to Fíli and moving back towards the others.

“I missed you, Kíli,” Fíli’s accented voice flows smoothly, nuzzling their noses before stepping back, spinning Kíli around and pulling him flush against his chest. Fíli begins to shift and with a loud squeak, Kíli shuts his eyes and tries to grab onto something stable. Before he knows it he’s sitting on Fíli’s back, in a spot between the large wings made especially for him.

Fíli cranes his head back and grins smugly, Kíli’s eyes widening as he tries to look for an easy way down. “Fíli, this is madness! You can’t just…” With a sharp growl, Fíli lifts his wings up to his sides, preventing Kíli from moving. The brunet flushes red, burying his face in his hands as he refuses to look out towards the eyes he knows are all fixed on him. Fíli walks over to Dís, giving a happy chirp as they resume their walk down the road.

“Oh my gods, I can’t believe this. Bilbo’s going to kill me!” Kíli moans quietly, ducking low to Fíli’s back to try and stay hidden. The golden dragon snorts playfully, changing his gait and causing Kíli to bounce on his back. “Stop it!” Kíli hisses, squeezing Fíli’s neck tightly before giving up and slumping against the dragon with a loud sigh.

When they reach the end of the road, a small crowd is gathered off to the side. With a happy squeal, Fíli bounds over towards the familiar faces waiting for them. Kíli’s eyes widen when he takes in the sight of his uncles, Sting, and Orcrist, all chuckling at how completely dumbfounded Kíli looks. Fíli tips to the side, Kíli slipping off his back and staring at Bilbo as Fíli buries his nose in the short man’s stomach.

“Ah, Fíli, so nice to see you too!” Bilbo laughs, scratching the golden dragon under his chin. Thorin smiles at Fíli, huffing out a laugh as Sting and Orcrist greet the younger.

“It’s good to see you again, Fíli. Kíli’s been an absolute wreck since you’ve been gone.”

“Uncle! I have _not!_ ” Kíli denies with a blush, looking up as Dís looms over them. Growling out a soft greeting, the sapphire dragon looks to Thorin with questions in her eyes. With a sigh, the brunet man nods his head, shifting the duffle bag from his shoulder to the ground.

Fíli’s body thrums with sudden energy and before Kíli can comment, the prince is human once more and scooping Kíli up into a jarring hug. “He said yes! Kíli come wi—”

Fíli is cut off as his mother bites the back of his robes, tugging him away from Kíli and growling in warning. Mouth snapping shut, Fíli remains where he is and looks to Kíli with bright eyes.

“Wha...what’s going on?” Kíli wonders aloud, unconsciously cradling his left arm as his eyes shift nervously from his uncle to the dragons. His gaze goes behind Dís to look at the other dragons gathered, most curious and a few looking at him with distaste. Fíli clears his throat, catching Kíli’s attention and taking a step forward.

“I, Prince Fíli of the Mountain of Erebor, ask you, Kíli of…” Fíli’s confidence stumbles for only a second before he continues. "… my heart, to come with me to Erebor and finish the training and trials laid out for a dragon and his bonded.” Sweeping into a low bow, Fíli awaits the verdict.

Kíli’s jaw drops in disbelief, trying to replay the words Fíli just said and blanking after the comment about his heart. A few dragons behind them shift anxiously, though Fíli remains completely still in his bow. Shaking his head, Kíli nods slowly; internally smacking himself when he remembers Fíli can’t see him.

Taking a few steps forward Kíli places his hand on Fíli’s shoulder and squeezes, a grin breaking out across his face at the hopeful look Fíli shoots him. “Yeah, I will.”

 _Yeah, I will?!_ Kíli’s mind screams, though all noise ceases when Fíli pulls him closer, cupping Kíli’s face with his hands and bringing their mouths together in a slow kiss. It only takes a few seconds for Kíli to relax, his hands coming up to fist in the soft fabric of Fíli’s robes.

A thud breaks them apart, everyone looking back toward Bilbo, or rather where he was standing before he passed out. Thorin lets out a shaky laugh, leaning down next to the unconscious man and trying to shake him awake. Sting pushes the brunet out of the way, licking across Bilbo’s cheek in his own attempt to revive his partner.

Kíli lets out a small laugh, and when he turns back to look at Fíli, the prince’s gaze is already focused on him. Gulping loudly, Kíli relaxes against the blond when Fíli pulls him close, nuzzling his face in Kíli’s dark hair. “Thank you, Kíli.”

* * *

That night they attend the feast in Fíli’s honor, delicious food covering hundreds of tables and drink flowing freely. The boys each sneak a mug of the sweet wine and down it quickly, laughing when Bilbo goes to yell but is distracted by a bowl of ruby ripe tomatoes. They sit side by side on the high bench, Fíli clasping their hands together and nosing into Kíli’s neck every so often.

“I missed you,” he whispers quietly, the words almost lost in the laughter and music floating around the party. Fíli almost misses the twinge of pain when he bumps his arm into Kíli’s, the brunet humming happily and squeezing their joined hands.

“Missed you too, Fee. Did you try this ham? It’s—hey!” He squeaks when Fíli untangles their hands and lifts Kíli’s arm, pushing the dark blue tunic back and inspecting the tan skin.

“This hurts?” Fíli asks seriously, poking and prodding the limb and watching Kíli’s face for any change. Kíli shakes his head, tugging his arm back and wrapping it around his stomach.

“No, it doesn’t hurt...just stings sometimes,” he shrugs, picking up a piece of the ham and offering it to Fíli. “It’s the arm I hurt when I fell out of the tree.” Kíli’s eyes widen when he sees Fíli’s nostrils flare angrily, body rippling with the telltale sign of wanting to shift. “I’m fine! Don’t…I’m okay, Fee, I promise.”

Fíli closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, looking up at Kíli and leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. He tilts his head to the side and swipes his tongue along Kíli’s lips, dipping inside for a taste before pulling back with a grin. “The ham tastes good.”

The brunet teen blushes a bright red and reels back, almost knocking his mug over with a flailing elbow. He huffs loudly, picking up another piece of the warm meat and shoving it into Fíli’s mouth. This action seems to turn against him as well, Fíli’s skilled tongue licking at his fingers and sending a shiver down Kíli’s spine, heat pooling in his stomach.

“F-Fíli!”

“Kíli tastes even better,” the blond grins as Kíli’s blush spreads over his entire face and down his neck, the younger jerking back and falling backwards off the bench in his embarrassment. His arms shoot out to try and break the fall, though he feels warmth instead of the cool ground he was expecting. Fíli hauls him up and into his arms, holding Kíli like a swooning maiden and chuckling lowly.

“P-put me down!” Kíli yelps, rocking down onto his own two feet and pushing away from the blond. Fíli growls and draws the attention of those around them, stepping in flush against Kíli while bringing a hand up to cup his face.

Unconsciously leaning into the gesture Kíli locks eyes with Fíli, the rest of the world falling away when the dragon-turned-human leans in and seals their lips. The kiss is slow and deep, years of distance melting away when Fíli’s tongue traces along Kíli’s lower lip. Kíli pulls back with a low moan; fingers reaching up to lightly touch his heated lips. “Fee?”

Azure eyes glow as Fíli steps back, tangling their fingers and squeezing when he breaks the gaze and starts leading Kíli past the tables of food and wine. People cheer and smile as they pass, Fíli nodding joyously but never stopping to talk. They pass Dís and a few guards speaking at the entrance of the giant hall, Fíli relaying a string of strange words that Dís replies to immediately.

They speak for only a few seconds more before Fíli’s pulling him down a long hall, Kíli laughing and waving to Dís as they go. Bilbo and Thorin had already departed the party for the night, headed back to the room they’d gotten at an Inn and telling Kíli to stay at the festivities as long as he wanted.

Fíli had piped up with the request that Kíli could stay in his rooms, a half drunk Bilbo nodding happily and pouring himself more wine.

Instead of heading up to the rooms Fíli pulls Kíli toward the open courtyard, pressing the younger up against a pillar and kissing him with a heated urgency. “Missed you, Kíli. Every second of every day.”

“And I you,” Kíli whispers in response, breaking their gaze when he hears a crash from the hallway they’d just come from. He pulls away from Fíli and glances back, chuckling when he sees two younger lads carrying a barrel of wine away from the party. With a giggle he turns back to Fíli who now takes the form of the golden dragon Kíli had seen this afternoon.

‘I missed you like this too,” Kíli scratches his fingers under Fíli’s jaw and presses a kiss between his eyes, pulling back with a laugh when Fíli nuzzles into his stomach. He knocks the brunet onto his back and licks the tanned skin that shows when Kíli’s shirt rides up.

“Fee stop! Ahaha…don’t!” Rolling around on the ground Kíli closes his eyes and stops all movement, feeling the dragon’s warm breath on his stomach but refusing to flinch. Fíli pushes at his side and lets out a low noise, the teen cracking an eye open and rolling out from under the dragon and jumping to his feet.

He sprints back to the palace-esque building where the feast is still going on, turning down the corridor toward the suites until a strong arm wraps around his waist and he’s hauled up against a firm chest. “You cannot escape me,” Fíli growls lowly in his ear, sending an involuntary shiver through Kíli’s body and making him laugh.

They finally make it to Fíli’s room after a short walk of kissing and giggling, the two teens stripping down to their underclothes before falling onto the bed and curling around each other like a couple of cats. Fíli shifts to lay his head on the tanned chest, fingers running up and down Kíli’s skin and making the brunet hum happily.

“I don’t want you to leave again,” the whisper leaves Kíli’s mouth before he can stop it, eyes focused on the elaborately painted ceiling above them and avoiding Fíli’s gaze. He smiles when he feels warm lips pressing kisses onto his neck, Fíli’s words mumbled but strong and sure.

“Never again, Kíli. I won’t be separated from you, I won’t.” Fíli promises and buries his face into the soft skin between Kíli’s neck and shoulder. The brunet teen hums in agreement and runs his hands up and down the prince’s back, one going up higher and carding through tangled locks. They’d taken the braids out before dinner, Fíli’s wavy hair even curlier from being woven tightly for most of the day.

Kíli works to untangle the knots as Fíli drifts off on his chest, the dragon’s human body warm, heavy, and successfully lulling Kíli to sleep. He slips into dreams with his hands still buried in blond hair, Fili draped around him like a blanket of love and heat.

 

* * *

 


End file.
